Explosive Adaptive Radiation of the Hawaiian Honeycreepers

Tuesday, March 24, 2026
6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Gulab & Indru Watumull Atrium of Hawaiian Hall
Free admission with registration

Dr. Michael Campana, a computational genomicist at the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s Center for Conservation Genomics presents the extraordinary evolutionary story of the Hawaiian honeycreepers — one of the most spectacular examples of adaptive radiation on Earth. From a single ancestral species, these birds diversified into a stunning array of forms, colors, and specialized beaks found nowhere else in the world.

Using advanced genomic tools, Dr. Campana and a team of researchers have reconstructed the most comprehensive evolutionary family tree ever assembled for nearly all living and historically known honeycreeper species, as well as some species known only from the fossil record. Their findings reveal that the group’s diversification was even more rapid and explosive than scientists previously believed.

Sadly, Hawaiian honeycreepers are also an example of rapid extinction, with many species disappearing in just the past two centuries. Come discover how DNA is helping us rewrite the evolutionary history of Hawaiʻi’s iconic forest birds — and how these insights inform our efforts to preserve them.

Dr. Michael G. Campana specializes in analysis of animal and pathogen genomics using a combination of ancient DNA and computational genomics. At the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s Center for Conservation Genomics (NZCBI), his research focuses on the genomics of lions, elephants, Hawaiian honeycreepers, Hawaiian avian malaria and Avipoxvirus, brown bears, and African painted dogs, among others. Dr. Campana obtained his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania and his Master of Philosophy and doctorate from the University of Cambridge. He conducted post-doctoral research at Harvard University, the University of Zurich, and NZCBI.

Cover Image by: Dubhan Clark