How do birds get their colors?

A new article in Physiological and Biochemical Zoology explores the role of melanins in creating complex plumage patterns in 9,000 species.

Birds' eye view is far more colorful than our own

The brilliant colors of birds have inspired poets and nature lovers, but researchers at Yale University and the University of Cambridge say these existing hues represent only a fraction of what birds are capable of seeing.

Melanin's 'trick' for maintaining radioprotection studied

Sunbathers have long known that melanin in their skin cells provides protection from the damage caused by visible and ultraviolet light. More recent studies have shown that melanin, which is produced by multitudes of the ...

Pterosaur discovery solves ancient feather mystery

An international team of paleontologists has discovered remarkable new evidence that pterosaurs, the flying relatives of dinosaurs, were able to control the color of their feathers using melanin pigments.

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