Parrots are an exception to the rules of evolution, as they have developed a completely different method for changing the color of their feathers in the same individual.
In the animal kingdom, birds are among the most vibrantly colored creatures. Most of them utilize a group of pigments known as carotenoids to produce their bright feather colors, which they absorb through their plant-based diet.
Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) with three distinctive colors: yellow, red, and blue (Photo: Getty).
However, parrots are an exception to this rule, as they have evolved in a completely new way to enable feather color change in the same individual.
A recent study published in the journal Current Biology discovered that the yellow and red feather color changes in parrots are associated with a specific enzyme called ALDH3A2.
This enzyme plays a crucial role in converting pigments that create red and yellow colors in parrots.
Specifically, the research team found that when the developing feathers of parrots contain a high amount of this enzyme, they appear yellow. Conversely, when the enzyme levels are lower, the feathers take on a red color.
Scientists also pointed out that in parrot populations and certain species of wild sparrows, simply mutating a few genes can significantly alter the chemical structure of the pigments, resulting in color differences in their feathers.
There, just a single oxygen atom can change the evolutionary process, creating a new pigment form with distinct characteristics.
This observation was confirmed when researchers witnessed the feather pigment changes in parrots transitioning from red to yellow and vice versa in sparrows.
This unique evolution reminds us once again of the wonders of nature and illustrates that evolution is an ongoing process.
In this context, each individual in a population contains a unique set of genes, and every small variant is a product of millions of years of evolution in the past.
It could also be the key to the development of a new species in the future.
