Get the latest Science News and Discoveries

Hidden bird species discovered in Japan after DNA reveals a stunning secret


A bird long thought to be a single rare species in Japan has turned out to be two. Scientists discovered that the elusive Ijima’s Leaf Warbler and a newly identified Tokara Leaf Warbler look almost identical, but their DNA and songs reveal they are distinct species. The finding marks Japan’s first new bird species discovery in more than 40 years and highlights how modern genetic tools are uncovering hidden biodiversity that would otherwise go unnoticed.

None

Get the Android app

Or read this on ScienceDaily

Read more on:

Photo of Japan

Japan

Photo of DNA

DNA

Photo of stunning secret

stunning secret

Related news:

News photo

Bird Sonic bird-deterrent systems installed at Narita Airport, now operating at 10 airports across Japan - EurekAlert!

News photo

Bacteria and even simple eukaryotes have long been known to hand DNA back and forth between cells, in a process called horizontal gene transfer. But a video and a series of related experiments, published recently in Cell, offer the first direct observation of the process in humans.

News photo

The Secret to Why Sloths Are So Slow May Be Hidden in Their DNA