Bird skeletons reveal evolutionary history shaped by climate shifts and environmental upheaval. Artificial intelligence analyzed thousands of museum specimens for anatomical measurements. Researchers found rapid anatomical changes occurred during ancient cooling periods. Evolutionary rates also slowed during other significant geological and environmental shifts. This study highlights how environmental variability influences bird body form evolution.

For millions of years, birds have been changing in ways that are difficult to see from the present day. A skeleton in a museum may look like a fixed record of one species, but…

Bird skeletons reveal evolutionary history shaped by climate shifts and environmental upheaval. Artificial intelligence analyzed thousands of museum specimens for anatomical…