Articles tagged with Feathers
Research by Yale University reveals that bird feathers create bright colors through nanostructures resembling a sponge with air bubbles. The structures self-assemble as the feather grows, replacing water bubbles with air, and have significant implications for the role of color in birds' plumage.
Studies show that male hummingbirds with long tails experience only a minimal cost in speed or energy, with a 3.4% drop in maximum flight speed. The researchers argue that the benefits of attracting females outweigh the costs of having long tail feathers.
A massive 'red tide' bloom caused seabirds to lose their waterproof insulation, leading to hypothermia and starvation. Researchers found a surfactant in the foam that stripped the birds' feathers of their natural oils.
Researchers found that owl faeces and prey remains can serve as visual signals for intraspecific communication, including territorial and parent-offspring contexts. This novel behavior may aid owls in signaling their reproductive status to potential intruders.
Researchers found that fossilized bird feathers contain pigments that once gave birds their color. The discovery enables scientists to predict the original colors of feathered dinosaurs using fossilized melanosomes.
A new CU-Boulder study reveals that artificial darkening of a male North American barn swallow's breast feathers leads to an increase in testosterone levels, challenging the traditional view that physiology forms external features.
Ornithologists have discovered a new bird species, Zosterops somadikartai, or Togian white-eye, in the Togian Islands of Indonesia. The species is believed to be endangered due to its limited range and numbers.
Scientists have found that male Anna's hummingbirds create a distinctive chirping sound by spreading their tail feathers during dive displays, which is used to attract females and deter rivals. The unique mechanism, similar to the whistling of ducks, sheds new light on bird sound production.
A new study by American Museum of Natural History paleontologists reveals that velociraptor, a close relative of birds, had feathers. The discovery supports the idea that many dinosaurs were feathered, and challenges the common perception of velociraptors as scaly creatures.
A study by University of Alaska Fairbanks researcher Hector Douglas found that crested auklets use chemical anointment during courtship to protect themselves from parasites like ticks. The birds rub their wick feathers with a citrus-like scent, which repels ticks and helps keep them healthy.
Justin Barone's research focuses on creating biodegradable plastics from agricultural byproducts like poultry feathers. He has developed polymers with improved strength, water resistance, and longevity by modifying keratin amino acid structures and using natural additives.
A new study reveals that giant noctule bats feed on songbirds during nocturnal migrations, contradicting earlier suggestions that they only eat insects. The researchers used stable isotopes to track the bats' diet and found a significant presence of songbird flesh in their stomachs during autumn.
A new research by University of Calgary paleontologist Nick Longrich challenges the traditional idea that birds began flying by taking off from the ground. Instead, it suggests that the earliest known ancestor of modern-day birds took to the skies using primitive feathered wings on their arms and legs.
Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are developing fabrics from agricultural waste products, including chicken feathers and rice straw. These fibers have properties similar to wool and cotton, making them suitable for conventional clothing and textiles.
Researchers found that marbled murrelets in the past fed on more nutritious prey, such as sardines and squid, while modern-day birds rely on lower-value food sources like krill. This shift in diet affects the birds' energy levels, reproductive success, and nesting patterns.
Feather stem cells are distributed in a ring configuration around the inner wall of the vase-shaped feather follicle. This unique arrangement allows for continuous growth, shedding, and regeneration of feathers.
Paleontologist Sankar Chatterjee presents evidence that dinosaurs like Microraptor gui used biplane wings, which were likely the first experiment in natural flight. The discovery supports the trees-down theory, suggesting that avian flight began with gliding and then developed into powered flight.
Researchers found that sea lilies move by shedding stalk ends and using feathery arms to crawl. This defense strategy helps them evade sea urchins, which prey on them. The discovery sheds light on the evolution and ecology of deep-sea creatures.
A team of scientists led by Dr. Alan Feduccia found that fossilized patterns resembling feathers are more likely skin-related tissues, contradicting the theory of feathered dinosaurs. The study also revealed embryos of developing birds have distinct wing structures, making it unlikely for birds to evolve from flightless dinosaurs.
In a study published in Science, researchers found that female barn swallows prefer males with darker breast and belly feathers, which signal high quality and health. This dynamic and continual process allows females to assess potential mates daily, influencing the evolution of showy ornamental traits.
Researchers at Cornell University have provided new evidence for the existence of the ivory-billed woodpecker, a species once thought to be extinct. The video analysis highlights key differences in wing coloration between the two bird species, supporting the claim that the footage shows an ivory-billed woodpecker.
A team of biologists has discovered that plumed feather structures involve the coordination of at least two genes that activate and inhibit barb growth. This finding provides the best experimental evidence for a classical theory of growth in complex biological structures.
Researchers have identified a key role for two proteins, SHH and Bmp2, in the development of barbs on feathers. The dynamic signaling interaction between these proteins supports an activator-inhibitor mechanism, which explains how feather patterning is achieved.
Researchers at Yale University discovered that male birds produce unique songs by rubbing their wings together. The wing song is as loud as a typical bird vocal and can be heard tens of meters away. This unusual behavior supports the theory that sounds made by feathers evolved through sexual selection.
The club-winged manakin, a rare species found in Ecuador's cloud forest, produces a unique sound by rubbing its inner feathers together. This adaptation is driven by sexual selection and makes the male more attractive to females.
Researchers from Purdue University confirmed that eagles from central Asia are monogamous, with no adult straying from its mate. The study used non-invasive DNA analysis on feathers to track individual birds over a six-year period, providing valuable insights for conservation biologists.
Researchers at ASU have identified a suite of five molecules called polyenal lipochromes that color parrot plumage red. These pigments are unique to parrots and provide their vibrant colors, challenging previous assumptions about bird coloration.
Researchers found that male songbirds who shed their feathers too late may have duller, less colorful plumage, which could disadvantage them in attracting mates. The study, published in Science, used stable hydrogen isotopes and spectrometry to analyze feather color and carotenoid concentrations.
Researchers have re-determined the content of argon in air, finding it to be approximately 0.9332%, very close to historical measurements made 100 years ago. This new value is significant for precision mass measurements, which require accurate corrections for air density.
Research suggests that higher levels of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone hormones give male Townsend's warblers a competitive advantage over female hermit warblers. The findings indicate that the hermit warbler may become extinct in another 5,000 years due to habitat loss and competition for resources.
Researchers found Archeopteryx had a brain three times larger than crocodiles and similar to modern birds, supporting the theory of evolution. The study disproves the idea that some dinosaurs couldn't fly due to feathers.
Research on young female bowerbirds suggests that they are attracted to blue decorations in the males' bowers, rather than intense courtship displays. This finding has implications for understanding mate selection and could aid wildlife conservation.
Researchers found that small lice stick to small birds and big lice prefer big birds due to the optimal hiding space between individual 'barbs' in their feathers. The study suggests that size matters for parasites, with larger hosts supporting larger louse species.
Researchers are using stable isotopes in bird feathers to track migration patterns and wintering grounds, revealing previously unknown information about bird dispersal. This technique provides a faster and more cost-effective alternative to traditional methods like banding, allowing scientists to gather data on a wider scale.
Researchers use novel genetic approach to study feather formation in chickens, revealing that barbs form first and fuse to create rachides. This discovery sheds new light on dinosaur evolution and has implications for understanding human development and organ formation.
Researchers from Brazil have developed a genetic technique that can accurately sex ostrich chicks as young as five days old using feather samples. The new method involves polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and has been shown to agree with traditional surgical methods, opening up new possibilities for commercial ostrich breeders.
A study analyzing stable isotopes in feathers reveals that black-throated blue warblers segregate according to their summer breeding locations in North America, linking them to specific Caribbean wintering grounds. This research provides crucial insights for developing effective conservation initiatives for Neotropical migrants.
Researchers analyzed carbon and hydrogen isotopes in black-throated blue warbler feathers to link northern breeding populations with southern wintering grounds. The study found a significant correlation between isotopic composition and geographical location.
A new study reveals that parrot plumage contains fluorescent pigments that signal sex appeal, attracting mates. Researchers found that applying sunscreen reduced the birds' fluorescence, resulting in a decreased sexual preference.
Fossil evidence suggests that reptiles existed before dinosaurs and sported feathers, challenging the theory of bird evolution from dinosaurs. The discovery of 'Longisquama' features key clues indicating that its appendages were indeed feathers.
Scientists have found fossils of an ancient, feathered animal that lived 220 million years ago, which may be the ancestor of birds. The discovery challenges widely accepted theories about the evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds.