Scientists have made an amazing discovery regarding a species of bird that lives in the Amazon rainforest, the golden-crowned manakin.
Through genetic testing, researchers found that the bird species originated from the pairing of two separate species of birds, which developed into a unique population. The golden-crowned manakin resulted from the snow-capped manakin and the opal-crowned manakin breeding together. The first golden-crowned manakin was spotted in 1957, but no special research was conducted because it was assumed that they were a typical species and not a hybrid.
The male golden-crowned manakin has developed bright yellow feathers (for which they are named). The yellow feathers are much brighter than the feathers of the two parent species.
This is such a startling discovery due to the rarity of hybrid species among vertebrates. While hybrid plant species are very common, the phenomenon rarely occurs among animals.