[explodingspleen]

Once an organism has attained an advantageous phenotype there is little opportunities for mutations to be beneficial and its evolutionary path takes a slow walk until the ENVIRONMENT changes. If an environmental change adversly affects the organism any offspring with mutations that help adapt to this environment change will survive and thrive.

30 million years.

[corkoman]

though assumed to be 30 million years old...

I've done a lot of lab work. If I put ina report "well, I assume this X years old.." I'd have to go sit in the corner with a conical hat on.

Me thinks someone geeked the number of zeros in their carbon dating.

[Junior]

Please note. In the articles published in Reuters Science and AP Science, it was pointed out that hummingbirds are extinct in Europe and the Old World and are now found only in North and South America. Obviously, the environment wherein the 30 million year old hummingbird was found did change and the critters did not adapt. However, those members of the species that had made it farther afield found the environments much more to their liking and have continued the lineage.

Also, please note. The article says that the hummingbirds found are "essentially modern." It was pointing out that the beak for slurping nectar and the ability to hover had already developed 30 million years ago. It did not say the critter discovered was identical to modern species (plural) of hummingbirds, each of which has its own variation on the theme.