Date: 11/5/25 9:34 am From: Allan Der via groups.io <allan.der...> Subject: [LACoBirds] Evolution of Colors in Birds
I got this in my mail. I can't attend, I have theater tickets that night.
Looks like it is open to all.
Lilac-breasted Roller - Photo courtesy of Laya Clode via Unsplash
Dear Allan,
Please join us on Thursday, November 13 for *"Evolution of Colors in Birds,"* a presentation hosted by Dr. Whitney Tsai Nakashima, Research Associate at the Moore Lab of Zoology and Genomics Center of Occidental College.
During this presentation, Dr. Nakashima will discuss her discoveries around the link between the avian visual system and the color birds produce, which helps us gain a better understanding of how birds evolved such an incredible diversity of colors.
Birds see and produce an astonishing diversity of colors that span the human visible and ultraviolet spectrums. These colors are produced by numerous mechanisms and perceived by birds differently depending on their visual system sensitivity. Despite the wealth of knowledge on bird coloration and vision, few large-scale comparative studies link the evolution of the avian visual system and the colors birds produce.
Using genomic data, 3D models of bird museum specimens, and a resolved phylogeny of all bird species we will examine how visual system sensitivity evolves across the bird tree of life.
*About Dr. Whitney Nakashima:* Dr. Whitney Nakashima is a Research Associate at the Moore Lab of Zoology and Genomics Center of Occidental College. Whitney’s research includes color and visual system evolution, phylogenetics, and conservation genomics.
She is currently a NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County where she is using museum specimens to understand how birds have responded to climate change in the past to better conserve them in the future.
