Natural History Wanderings

NPR  reports on new research that may answer why Passenger Pigeons went extinct

Billions of these birds once flew over North America, but the last known passenger pigeon died in 1914. To try to figure out what happened, scientists analyzed DNA from the toes of birds in museums.

Scientists believe they may have new insights into why passenger pigeons went extinct, after analyzing DNA from the toes of birds that have been carefully preserved in museums for over a century.

Read or listen to the story at  Why Did The Passenger Pigeon Go Extinct? The Answer Might Lie In Their Toes