Tuna’s speed and warm blood evolved over 50M years, not from dinosaur asteroid

Times of IndiaIndependentCenteryesterday

A recent study from Yale University challenges the long-held belief that the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs triggered the rapid evolution of modern tuna. Scientists previously thought that the asteroid impact 66 million years ago created an ecological vacuum that allowed tuna and similar predators to thrive. However, the new research suggests that the development of tuna's speed and warm-bloodedness occurred gradually over tens of millions of years, not immediately after the mass extinction. Using genetic data and fossil records, the study constructed the most detailed evolutionary tree for the Scombridae family, revealing that key traits like large body size and endothermy evolved multiple times and at different points in the group's history. The findings indicate that tuna and mackerel evolved their current form over approximately 50 million years, rather than being directly shaped by the asteroid event.

Bias read (Center): The article presents a scientific study challenging a previous theory but does not take a stance on the issue. It reports findings objectively, citing the study's methodology and conclusions without apparent bias toward any particular viewpoint.