2 Pigeons with Head Crests are not Closely Related (IMAGE)

University of Utah

2 Pigeons with Head Crests are not Closely Related

Caption

These two pigeon breeds -- the old Dutch capuchine, left, and komorner tumbler, right -- are not closely related, yet they both have feathery ornamentation on their heads known as a head crest. These pigeons illustrate the notion that birds of a feather don't always stick together, at least genetically, according to a new University of Utah study of the pigeon family tree.

Credit

Mike Shapiro, University of Utah

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