Dance: and the Birds-of-Paradise

Explore more at The bizarre dances of birds-of-paradise aren’t mere flights of fancy. Young males inherit those dance steps from their fathers, then refine them through practice and watching adults. Less obvious but equally important are the watchful females—look for them in these video clips. It’s ultimately their choices that decide which dances reach the next generation. The Cornell Lab’s Ed Scholes explains: Filmed and photographed by Tim Laman.