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Barn owls’ ancestors made a transatlantic flight

Published: 10/27/2026, 12:00 AM

The ancestors of barn owls (genus Tyto) in the Americas crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Eurasia. Credit: Mark Castiglia/Alamy A DNA study suggests that all barn owls in the Americas have their genetic origins in the Caribbean1. Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Zhao, M. et al. Proc. R. Soc. B. 293, 20261022 (2026). Article PubMed Google Scholar Evolutionary ‘game-changer’: weird armoured amphibian lived in ancient seas The proteome of Middle Pleistocene Xujiayao and common Denisovan morphology Assistant Professor at the Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG) Center at WashU Medicine in St. Louis