🧬 Biologists at The University of Texas at #Austin identified a rare hybrid "grue jay" in #Texas, born from a blue jay father and green jay mother whose ranges converged near #SanAntonio due to #climatechange.

The #discovery represents the first known vertebrate hybrid caused by both parent species expanding their ranges simultaneously, rather than human intervention, marking a 7-million-year evolutionary gap bridged by environmental shifts.

https://phys.org/news/2025-09-grue-jay-rare-hybrid-bird.html

Learn more on #tksst: A Lot About Blue Jays with Lesley the Bird Nerd
https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/blue-jays-lesley-birdnerd

#birds #climate #evolution #genetics #science #ecology #ornithology #conservation

️ Scientists discovered that #spiders can "balloon" by using #Earth's electromagnetic field to propel silk threads, allowing them to travel long distances without wind. Darwin first observed this phenomenon in the 1830s, but it took until 2018 for researchers to prove that spiders charge their silk and use it like tiny aircraft in the planet's electrical field.

https://baynature.org/2025/09/18/how-spiders-fly/

#physics #biology #electricity #science #discovery