The Story of Colors

Abstract

In this study, I investigated the evolution of color dimorphism in two bird species, the Western Reef Heron (Egretta gularis) and Dimorphic Egret (Egretta dimorpha), by analyzing their color morphology, geographic distributions, and genomic variation. Both species have white and dark morphs, which coexist in the same environments and share resources. The Western Reef Heron is found in coastal regions of West and East Africa, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and southern India. The Dimorphic Egret has a narrow range, from coastal Kenya and Tanzania to Madagascar and nearby islands.