Human-caused bird extinctions reduced diversity in functions, unique history, study finds

A study led by the University of Birmingham reveals that human-induced bird extinctions over 1,30,000 years have dramatically reduced birds’ functional diversity and resulted in a loss of three billion years of unique evolutionary history. Approximately 600 species, including the Dodo and Kaua’i ‘o’o, have disappeared, affecting ecological roles like pollination and seed dispersal. This underscores the urgent need for targeted global conservation strategies.