Pigeons

Meet the surprising birds that sparked groundbreaking discoveries.

Domesticated pigeons are spectacularly diverse. Pigeon breeders have created over 350 breeds with dozens of extravagant features like fancy crests, feathered feet, fantails, and frillbacks. These abundant variations enable scientists to explore how evolution works. 
 
Find out how Charles Darwin, the father of modern evolutionary thought, relied on pigeons to formulate and communicate his theory of natural selection. Then meet a University of Utah biologist following in Darwin’s footsteps. Glimpse inside Dr. Michael Shapiro’s lab to see how he investigates the pigeon genome to reveal how evolution works at the genetic level.