June 17, 2024 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlightedthe following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread by Pensoft Publishers One of the most beautiful aspects of nature is the endless variety of shapes, colors and behaviors exhibited by organisms. These traits help organisms survive and find mates, like how a male peacock's colorful tail attracts females or his wings allow him to fly away from danger.
Understanding traits is crucial for biologists, who study them to learn how organisms evolve and adapt to different environments. To do this, scientists first need to describe these traits in words, like saying a peacock's tail is "vibrant, iridescent, and ornate." This approach works for small studies, but when looking at hundreds or even millions of different animals or plants, it's impossible for the human brain to keep track of everything.
Computers could help, but not even the latest AI technology is able to grasp human language to the extent needed by biologists. This hampers research significantly because, although scientists can handle large volumes of DNA data, linking this information to physical traits is still very difficult. To solve this problem, researchers from the Finnish Museum of Natural History, Giulio Montanaro and Sergei Tarasov, along with collaborators, have created a special language called Phenoscript.