Genetic adaptations that helped neotropical manakins detect and digest fruit may have laid the foundation for the evolution of elaborate courtship displays and vivid plumage observed in manakins. An international research team, including researchers from Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, combined genomic, functional, and evolutionary analyses to show that changes in taste perception and digestion preceded the emergence of these vibrant traits—revealing how simple physiological changes could drive behavioral evolution and biodiversity.
Natural selection has shaped a variety of surprising traits in animals, from dazzling colors to extraordinary survival strategies. Among birds, neotropical manakins are known for their striking appearance. Particularly, male manakins, which are renowned for their brilliant plumage and complex courtship displays, including performing rapid aerial acrobatics and producing distinctive sounds with their wings to attract mates. Performing these requires substantial energy, suggesting that the ability to detect and digest fruits may have provided the resources needed to support them.
Exploring this, researchers at Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo), Japan, investigated whether the adaptations to a fruit-rich diet preceded the evolution of courtship displays and colorful plumage. Led by Dr. Maude W. Baldwin from the Max Planck Institute and Associate Professor Christopher N. Balakrishnan from East Carolina University, in collaboration with Associate Professor Yasuka Toda from the School of Life Science and Technology, Science Tokyo, and Professor Yoshiro Ishimaru from Meiji University, the study explored how dietary adaptations shaped the evolutionary history of Neotropical manakins. Their findings were made available online on June 10, 2026, and published in Volume 36, Issue 12 of Current Biology journal on June 22, 2026.
Using comparative genomic analyses of five manakin species, the researchers investigated how genetic changes may have contributed to the evolution of fruit-eating and elaborate courtship traits. They also conducted laboratory experiments and evolutionary reconstructions to validate the links between these adaptations.
“Our analyses revealed evidence of positive selection in genes related to taste receptors, digestive enzymes, and other physiological functions associated with fruit consumption,” explain Baldwin and Balakrishnan.
“Furthermore, functional experiments revealed that the birds—having lost their sweet taste receptors, likely during the era of carnivorous dinosaurs—repurposed an umami taste receptor, known as the T1R1–T1R3 receptor, to detect sugars. This adaptation improved the birds’ ability to detect energy-rich fruits,” says Toda.
Additionally, the researchers also noted reduced activity of a digestive enzyme called lactase-phlorizin hydrolase in manakins. This change may have allowed the birds to also consume unripe or chemically defended fruits, without causing any harm during digestion. This means that the birds could exploit a wider variety of fruit resources. Together, these results indicate that these adaptations enhanced the detection and efficient use of fruits as a dependable and nutrient-rich food source.
In reconstructing the evolutionary history of these traits, the researchers found that the physiological adaptations for a fruit-rich diet appeared before the evolution of elaborate courtship displays and colorful plumage. “Acquiring the ability to exploit a fruit-rich diet might have supported the energetic conditions that later allowed strong sexual selection, driving the elaborate behavior of manakins,” suggests Toda.
These findings provide new insights into how basic physiological systems can affect the course of evolution. Rather than acting independently, changes in sensory perception and digestion can unfold sequentially with the evolution of traits in behavior and reproduction, indicating that one change can create opportunities for the next. By revealing how adaptations in taste perception and digestion preceded the emergence of complex behavioral and reproductive traits, the study underscores how dietary transitions can drive species diversification.
Looking ahead, the researchers plan to use similar integrative approaches combining genomics, physiology, and evolutionary biology to uncover the origins of other complex traits across the animal kingdom. Understanding how seemingly small changes in biological functions can give rise to remarkable behavioral diversity could provide a broader framework to researchers for explaining the processes that generate Earth's rich biodiversity.
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About Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo)
Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo) was established on October 1, 2024, following the merger between Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) and Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), with the mission of “Advancing science and human wellbeing to create value for and with society.”
Reference :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.05.021
Current Biology
Experimental study
Animals
Genomic and physiological changes in a sexually selected and frugivorous bird radiation
22-Jun-2026
The authors declare no competing interests.