In late summer and autumn, millions of birds fly above our heads, often at night, winging their way toward their wintering grounds.
Plants & Animals
Nov 7, 2020
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227
While it may be true, as the old adage goes, that 'birds of a feather flock together,' what is less certain is how the feathers on those birds come to have their distinct patterns and colorations. Current data suggest that ...
Though famous for their mid-air hovering during hunting, tiny hummingbirds have another trait that is literally telltale: males of some hummingbird species generate loud sounds with their tail feathers while courting females. ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 8, 2011
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0
Inspired by the way iridescent bird feathers play with light, scientists have created thin films of material in a wide range of pure colors—from red to green—with hues determined by physical structure rather than pigments.
Nanomaterials
May 13, 2015
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712
There's a paradox within the theory of evolution: The life forms that exist today are here because they were able to change when past environments disappeared. Yet, organisms evolve to fit into specific environmental niches.
Plants & Animals
Aug 11, 2020
2
398
Iridescence, or sheen that shifts color depending on your viewing angle, is pretty in peacock feathers. But it's been a nuisance for engineers trying to mimic the birds' unique color mechanism to make high-resolution, reflective, ...
Optics & Photonics
Feb 5, 2013
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0
A new raptorial dinosaur fossil with exceptionally long feathers has provided exciting insights into dinosaur flight. A paper published in Nature Communications on July 15, 2014 asserts that the fossil—discovered by an ...
Archaeology
Jul 15, 2014
2
0
Birds tweet, squawk, chirp, hoot, cluck, and screech to communicate with each other. Some birds have found another way to talk, though: they make sounds by fluttering their feathers or smacking their wings together really ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 22, 2020
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262
When organic waste is turned into biogas, water is usually an important component of the process. This results in a high water and energy consumption and a lot of residue. Doctoral student Regina Jijoho Patinvoh at the University ...
Environment
Dec 7, 2017
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10
Indian peafowl crests resonate efficiently and specifically to the same vibration frequencies used in peacock social displays, according to a paper published November 28, 2018 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Suzanne ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 28, 2018
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60
