maggiemcko.bsky.social @maggiemcko.bsky.social · 21/06/2026Hope you enjoy reading about these remarkable little birds as much as we enjoyed studying them. Photo: Esteban Mendez #Manakins #Ornithology #EvolutionaryBiology #SexualSelection #Genomics #Evolution #Frugivory 021
maggiemcko.bsky.social @maggiemcko.bsky.social · 21/06/2026Fruit first, fancy footwork later 🍇🕺 This was a true consortium effort: nearly sixty researchers across many labs and countries. Grateful to have been part of it. 📄 paper: s.gwdg.de/LdXA5N 📰 press release: s.gwdg.de/h9cXti — 3s.gwdg.de 110
maggiemcko.bsky.social @maggiemcko.bsky.social · 21/06/2026The answer may start with diet. By sequencing genomes, reconstructing evolutionary history, and testing taste receptors in the lab, we found changes in how manakins taste and digest fruit appeared deep in their ancestry — long before the elaborate displays emerged. — 2 100
maggiemcko.bsky.social @maggiemcko.bsky.social · 21/06/2026Super excited to share our new paper in Current Biology — on one of the most flamboyant bird groups on Earth: manakins 🐦 Males are famous for dazzling courtship dances: high-speed backflips, wings snapping like firecrackers. How did this evolve? 🧵 📹 watch (w/ audio!): s.gwdg.de/t5Lhmd — 1s.gwdg.de 162
Reposted by @maggiemcko.bsky.socialMPI for Biological Intelligence @mpiforbi.bsky.social · 10/06/2026In a new study published in @currentbiology.bsky.social, researchers uncover how a dietary shift may have set the stage for one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena: the elaborate courtship displays of manakins. 🔗 Press release: www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-06... 12812
Reposted by @maggiemcko.bsky.socialMichael Hiller @hillermich.bsky.social · 28/02/2026Fantastic collaboration with great colleagues at Senckenberg @sgn.one @mpiforbi.bsky.social @harvard.edu @bihatcharite.bsky.social and other institutes 042
Reposted by @maggiemcko.bsky.socialMPI for Biological Intelligence @mpiforbi.bsky.social · 27/02/2026How do birds thrive on diets so rich in sugar that they would cause metabolic chaos in humans? A new study reveals that evolution found both shared and unique genetic solutions. 🔗 Press release: www.bi.mpg.de/news/2026-02... 📸 Picture of a rainbow lorikeet by Gerald Allen @science.org @maxplanck.de 0123
maggiemcko.bsky.social @maggiemcko.bsky.social · 26/02/2026www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... /5science.orgConvergent and lineage-specific genomic changes shape adaptations in sugar-consuming birdsHigh-sugar diets cause human metabolic diseases, yet several bird lineages convergently adapted to feeding on sugar-rich nectar or fruits. We investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms in hummin... 050
maggiemcko.bsky.social @maggiemcko.bsky.social · 26/02/2026Team effort across MPI Biological Intelligence, Harvard, and Senckenberg. Working with Ekaterina Osipova, Michael Hiller, Tim Sackton, and Maude Baldwin has been a genuine privilege — and none of it possible without our many co-authors. Thank you all. We hope you enjoy it! /4 150
maggiemcko.bsky.social @maggiemcko.bsky.social · 26/02/2026One gene, MLXIPL, shows convergent positive selection in all four groups. But lineage-specific solutions matter too — honeyeaters evolved changes in hexokinase 3 that increase its enzymatic rate. /3 121
maggiemcko.bsky.social @maggiemcko.bsky.social · 26/02/2026We investigated exactly that in four groups: hummingbirds, sunbirds, honeyeaters, and parrots. The answer, it turns out, is both. /2 120
maggiemcko.bsky.social @maggiemcko.bsky.social · 26/02/2026We made it to the front page of @science.org today!! 🎉 Some birds process sugar loads that would be devastating to human metabolism. Many bird groups independently evolved this ability — did they all get there the same way? /1 2485
maggiemcko.bsky.social @maggiemcko.bsky.social · 03/11/2025🧬 How do biotech discoveries reach the market? We’re EMBA students studying how research turns into real-world innovation. If you’re a researcher, founder, clinician-scientist, or TTO pro, we’d love your input 👇 👉 forms.gle/J1WoVCu8SMds... #biotech #innovation #techtransferforms.gleBiotech Consulting - Market SurveyThank you for participating in this short, anonymous survey. We are reaching out to scientists and early-stage biotech innovators who are interested in translating their discoveries into real-world a... 010
maggiemcko.bsky.social @maggiemcko.bsky.social · 09/12/20245/ I’d love to hear your thoughts on this work! Let’s connect. #BrainPlasticity #neuroendocrinology #songbirds 000
maggiemcko.bsky.social @maggiemcko.bsky.social · 09/12/20244/ This is the final work from my PhD journey. Grateful to my collaborators, the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, and anonymous reviewers for their support and feedback along the way. 100
maggiemcko.bsky.social @maggiemcko.bsky.social · 09/12/20243/ Key highlights: - Over 9,900 genes (~64% of the genome) were differentially expressed. - 98% of these changes were transient during the first 2 weeks of song development. - Testosterone drove brain plasticity, enabling male-like songs. 100
maggiemcko.bsky.social @maggiemcko.bsky.social · 09/12/20242/ 🧠 In this study, we show how testosterone transforms non-singing female canaries into vocal performers by triggering gene expression changes in the HVC, a song-controlling brain area. 100
maggiemcko.bsky.social @maggiemcko.bsky.social · 09/12/20241/ 🎉 Excited to share our latest paper in Journal of Neuroendocrinology: "From Silence to Song: Testosterone Triggers Extensive Transcriptional Changes in the Female Canary HVC" Read it here: doi.org/10.1111/jne....doi.org<em>Journal of Neuroendocrinology</em> | BSN Journal | Wiley Online LibrarySeasonal song production in canaries is influenced by gonadal hormones, but the molecular mechanisms underlying testosterone-induced song development in adult female canaries, which rarely sing natur... 120
maggiemcko.bsky.social @maggiemcko.bsky.social · 07/12/2024www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25...mdpi.comThe Remarkable Diversity of Vertebrate Bitter Taste Receptors: Recent Advances in Genomic and Functional StudiesBitter taste perception is crucial for animal survival. By detecting potentially harmful substances, such as plant secondary metabolites, as bitter, animals can avoid ingesting toxic compounds. In ver... 000
