Unexpected but direct impacts of developments in one area on an entirely different area
Steve Johnson coins the term “Hummingbird Effects” to describe when a change or innovation in one area unexpectedly but directly generates a change or innovation in an entirely different area. The term refers to the co-evolution of flowers and insects that created the long stems holding rich nutrients. This change begat a change not found elsewhere in the avian world - the hummingbird’s ability to hover. It creates down-force with both the forward and backward stroke of its wings so that it can hover at a flower and access the nectar. Insects pollinating plants causes plants to become better at attracting insects, which causes evolutionary pressure for hummingbirds to develop the ability to hover in place.
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title: The Hummingbird Effect
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graph TD
a(Insects pollenate flowers) --> b(Flowers develop nectar)
b --> c(hummingbirds develop wing joints that allow them to hover)