Genetic Basis for Kingfishers' Ability to Avoid Brain Damage During High-Speed Diving Identified

Researchers discover modifications in DNA coding of the AGT and MAPT genes in kingfishers, suggesting their ability to plunge-dive for prey at high speeds without brain trauma is genetically driven; findings hold potential implications for understanding human brain injuries.

• Scientists have discovered modifications in the DNA of kingfishers which enable the birds to dive at high speeds without incurring brain damage. Both the AGT gene, associated with dietary flexibility, and the MAPT gene, which codes for brain-structure related tau proteins, showed mutations in these diving birds.
• Water impacts at high speeds can be traumatic, but the kingfishers' distinct 'plunge-diving' technique and genetic adaptations protect them from potential harm. This could offer insight into human brain injuries, particularly those related to concussions and Alzheimer's disease.
• Not all kingfishers eat fish, and research suggests that the birds' fish-eating and diving tendencies adapted independently several times throughout their evolutionary history, rather than stemming from a single common ancestor. This repeated evolution makes them scientifically interesting and potentially provides broader explanations for their abilities.
• The study involved sequencing the full genomes of 30 different kingfisher species, facilitated by tissue samples from bird specimens stored in liquid nitrogen for DNA preservation at the Field Museum. Comparisons of these genes highlighted the key diving-related genomic variations that the species share.
• Further investigation is anticipated to uncover the functional impacts of the identified gene mutations on the produced proteins, the potential changes in brain structure, and how these might compensate for the impact forces the birds endure during their high-speed dives.

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