The kiwi’s unique nocturnal behaviour is linked to some altered genes that eliminate color vision and others that modify its sense of smell, according European scientists who have mapped the birds entire DNA.
The research, published in the open access journal Genome Biology, has been widely covered by New Zealand media. You can read more about the study, including expert commentary collected by the Science Media Centre, here.
National coverage includes:
Stuff.co.nz: New research finds Kiwi evolved to cope with nocturnal life
New Zealand Herald: It’s now black and white: Our kiwi is colour blind
Yahoo NZ News: How the kiwi became a night bird
New Zealand Herald: Kiwi colour-blind, gene study finds
NZ City News: How the kiwi became a night bird
Radio New Zealand: Brown kiwi’s genetic secrets revealed
Yahoo NZ News: Mapping the genetic code of the kiwi
TVNZ News: Scientists unlock secret to lack of colour vision in brown kiwi