July 1, 2008
Mobile Phones Change Birds' Tune
Many wild birds are able to imitate the simple ringtones of mobile telephones, German ornithologists report, underscoring the influence of humans on the evolution of birds. InfosShop News reports.
"These birds can "sing up to 78 different phrases, and many of the simplest telephone ringtones coincide with them," ornithologist Matthias Werner, of the government's bird protection agency, told Tierramérica. The common titbird (Parus major) can sing 32 different songs," he said.
... "It's in the nature of these birds to imitate sounds in their environment that correspond to their own musical capabilities," said Richard Schneider, of the NABU Bird Protection Centre in the city of Mössingen (600 km south of Berlin).
"They can imitate those sounds so well that sometimes it is very difficult to hear the difference," he told Tierramérica.
"That's how evolution is: there is no predetermined scheme, and the influences of the environment, even if they are artificial, turn out to be considerable," he added."
Related: - Birds mimic ringtones
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