Coursera Flash Sale
40% Off Coursera Plus for 3 Months!
Grab it
Explore the fascinating evolutionary patterns of Madagascar's endemic bird species in this 53-minute lecture that examines how island colonization leads to spectacular biological radiations. Discover why only half of the 50+ bird lineages that colonized this biodiversity hotspot have subsequently diversified within the island, while others remained unchanged. Learn how Dr. Sushma Reddy uses Madagascar as a natural laboratory to investigate the influence of timing, space, and evolutionary pressures on diversification patterns among comparable endemic species on a single landmass. Gain insights into the ecological opportunities and unique selective regimes that expose colonizing lineages to novel environments, sometimes resulting in dramatic evolutionary adaptations. Understand the research methodologies that combine genetic, phenotypic, and geographic data to uncover the evolutionary history of Madagascar's remarkable avian diversity, presented by the Breckenridge Chair of Ornithology at the Bell Museum of Natural History and Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota.
