Education

UF study traces 44 million years of hawkmoth proboscis evolution

University of Florida researchers sequenced DNA and measured the mouthparts of 310 hawkmoth species to map how and when their feeding structures evolved. The study found that proboscises have repeatedly lengthened and shortened over the past 44 million years, driven by environmental pressures and geographic gradients. Some species developed elongated proboscises suited to specialized flowers, while others evolved shorter ones allowing access to a broader range of nectar sources.

Sources: UF News