Decoding evolution: How birds can help us prevent pandemics

Evolution drives all biological change. It shapes every lifeform we know, including birds. Charles Darwin laid its foundation with natural selection, explaining how organisms adapt and survive through generations.

Recent advances in genetics and bioinformatics have pushed our understanding far beyond Darwin’s notebooks. One question still haunts the scientific world: What really drives novelty in evolution?

A new study by researchers at the University of Copenhagen offers a fresh approach and some surprising answers.

What makes evolution tick

DNA changes lie at the center of evolution. These changes fuel the dazzling variety of life around us. Sometimes, they produce traits that surprise us. Other times, they lead to mutations behind deadly viruses.

That’s why understanding DNA’s shifting patterns isn’t just scientific curiosity. It matters for protecting ecosystems. It matters for predicting health threats.

“Basically, we showcase a method to extract information from genomes and reveal the forces driving biological novelty with unprecedented detail,” said David Duchene, a professor in the Department of Public Health at the University of Copenhagen.

Birds as evolution’s case study

The team used birds as their main study group. Why birds? They’re the most diverse group of vertebrates – 10,000 species strong.

“We used birds as our study subject. With 10,000 known species, they are the most diverse class of vertebrates and uniquely suited for exploring evolutionary phenomena. With our method, we were able to identify key factors that influence how these bird lineages and their thousands of genes evolve,” explained Duchene.

Their method identified four key evolutionary factors: clutch size, gene biochemistry, chromosome size, and leg length. Duchene says these results break the idea that one trait, like flying or singing, steers a group’s evolution.

Bird evolution depends on many traits

“Our study tells us that you will find much nuance as to the drivers of novelty once you look at multiple lineages and genes in detail. The biochemistry, chromosomes, and various aspects of lifestyle all play distinct roles in bringing about novelty,” said Duchene.

It’s not one factor but many. The research shows how each piece, from gene makeup to physical traits, helps shape the tree of life. This view gives experts a better toolkit for tracking changes across different organisms.

Clues to the next pandemic

The findings stretch beyond birds, offering deeper insight into evolution across many forms of life.

The method could help scientists track how diseases evolve. It could help understand how plants respond to climate change. And it could point to what we risk losing in our current biodiversity crisis.

According to Duchene, the findings can be applied to a variety of contexts, such as understanding how diseases adapt to human demographics or climate conditions.

“The same principles that help us decode the diversity of birds could also be used to investigate the genetic changes driving everything from pandemics to species adaptation in shifting ecosystems,” said Duchene.

“This method could tell us: What is special about what we are losing in the current biodiversity crisis? What exactly made those animals so novel and unique, and what have they taught us about evolution such that we might want to preserve them?”

Bird evolution and the study of life

Every extinct species takes with it a chapter of evolution’s story. Understanding why those species were unique helps us grasp the full scale of what’s being lost.

It also shows us what we must protect – not just for the sake of nature, but for future discoveries about life itself.

With this new approach, scientists can now map the drivers of evolution more clearly than ever before. The tools used to decode bird diversity may soon help us understand the rise of new diseases or the disappearance of key species.

The study invites a shift in thinking – from seeing evolution as a slow and distant process to recognizing it as something dynamic and ongoing.

Nature still holds many secrets. But thanks to this work from the University of Copenhagen, we are one step closer to understanding how life continues to surprise, survive, and evolve.

The study is published in the journal Nature.

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