Timothy Wright, associate professor of biology at New Mexico State University, has had his research on the Carolina parakeet published in the April edition of the ornithological journal, The Auk. The Carolina parakeet was once common across the eastern U.S., but about 100 years ago it went extinct, leaving behind many mysteries. Collaborating with Erin Schirtzinger, a former doctoral student in Wright’s lab, and Jeremy Kirchman, who is an expert at ancient DNA extraction and amplification, Wright conducted his research using genetic evidence from specimens held in museums. The work led to the discovery that this North American species is most closely related to a group of tropical parakeets in the genus Aratinga. They also found that some of the other species in that genus belonged in different genetic groups, “suggesting that the whole genus Aratinga needs to be reclassified," Wright said.
Photo: Michael Rothman painting of the Caroline parakeet
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Video interview with Timothy Wright of NMSU
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