Bakı Dövlət Universiteti Faculty of Biology

An article co-authored by Associate Professor Əbülfəz Tağıyev, Head of the Department of Zoology and Physiology at the Faculty of Biology, titled “A mosaic of modular variation at a single gene underpins convergent plumage coloration”, has been published in one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals — the U.S.-based Science journal.

The journal is indexed in Web of Science and Scopus, ranked in the Q1 quartile, and is among the world’s highest-rated scientific journals with an Impact Factor of 45.8 and a high H-index.

The article investigates the genetic mechanisms behind plumage color variations in wheatear birds (Oenanthe). The study revealed that these changes occur due to the influence of a single gene — the ASIP (agouti signaling protein) gene. It was determined that new genetic material was introduced into this gene through introgressive hybridization, leading to the transfer of genetic information between species.

Furthermore, the study suggests that these genetic variations may not only determine differences in color but also contribute to divergent feeding behaviors. Thus, the results demonstrate that a single gene can produce similar phenotypic traits across different species, representing a striking example of convergent evolution.

This high-impact research is the result of collaboration among 48 leading scientists from nearly 20 countries, including China, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, Türkiye, Greece, Kazakhstan, Finland, Cyprus, and others.