Parrot DNA Color Switch

This is a news story, published by Phys Org, that relates primarily to The University of Hong Kong news.

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parrot color gene

Phys Org

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Biologists reveal the genetic 'switch' behind parrot color diversity

Summary

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88% Informative

Scientists from The University of Hong Kong and an international team have uncovered for the first time a "switch" in the DNA of parrots that controls their wide gamut of colors.

Parrots evolved unique pigments, called psittacofulvins, which do not occur in other birds.

The scientists found that only one protein controlled the color difference in the dusky lory, a type of aldehyde dehydrogenase (or ALDH).

The study showcases how cutting-edge developments in biotechnology are increasingly used to unravel nature's mysteries.

"We now understand how these stunning colors can evolve in wild animals through a simple dial-like "molecular switch" that "borrows" a detoxifying protein to serve a new function.

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