Two studies published in June, 2004, 5438+ 10, clarified the function of DNA barcode. In a paper published in PLoS Biology, researchers led by Herbert discharged the DNA barcode sequences of 260 North American birds. It is found that each bird has a separate bar code, and the difference between species is 18 times higher than that between different individuals of the same species.

During the research, Herbert and his colleagues also found that there are two different groups of CO 1 barcodes in these four categories. This shows that the original idea of 1 species is actually composed of two species. DNA barcodes show that there are four new species of birds in North America.

In another study, researchers led by Daniel Zhan, a biologist at the University of Pennsylvania, used DNA barcodes to confirm that the common 1 butterfly species in Costa Rica is actually 10 butterfly species. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

When researchers realized that 2,500 captured wild Tenebrio molitor larvae could be divided into several different groups according to different colors and food preferences, they thought of many different kinds of possibilities. However, adult butterflies are indistinguishable. Zhan once pointed out: "If the range of the yellow-winged locust population is defined widely, it is not difficult to imagine that it may contain many hidden populations."