New research looks at the specific timing of bird evolution. 

Researchers have unveiled the most comprehensive ‘Tree of Life’ for modern birds, pinpointing their evolution to a narrow window of just 5 million years after the dinosaurs were wiped out by an asteroid 66 million years ago. 

A collaborative effort, featuring Australian researchers, integrated genomic data from over 360 bird species and nearly 200 bird fossils.

The study not only resolves long-standing disputes about bird phylogeny but also introduces a new bird grouping called ‘Elementaves’, named after the ancient elements of earth, air, water, and fire. 

This grouping includes birds that thrive in various environments, such as penguins, pelicans, swifts, hummingbirds, and shorebirds. 

Furthermore, the research highlights the close evolutionary relationship between two of Australia’s most well-known bird groups, the passerines (songbirds and relatives) and parrots, tracking their origins in Australia around 50 million years ago.

Despite the breadth of data and the clarity it brings to the understanding of bird evolution, the study acknowledges an ongoing mystery: the exact evolutionary placement of the hoatzin, a unique bird found only in South America.

This groundbreaking research is part of the Bird 10,000 Genomes Project (B10K), aiming to sequence the genomes of all living bird species.