American scientists from the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago have discovered a genetic mechanism that allows kingfishers to dive into water at high speed to hunt for prey without suffering a concussion. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Communication Biology (CommsBio).
Biologists compared the DNA of 30 different kingfisher species, sequenced the genome for each species, and then compared the resulting billions of base pairs.
Scientists have discovered that fishing kingfishers have several altered genes related to nutrition and brain structure. Experts found mutations especially in the AGT and MAPT genes.
The MAPT gene codes for tau proteins that help stabilize structures within the brain, but large amounts of these substances can be harmful. Traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s disease in humans are associated with the accumulation of tau proteins.
Now scientists hope to find out exactly what happens in the kingfisher’s brain to compensate for the impact of water during diving.
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