Paleontologists at University College Cork (UCC) in Ireland have discovered X-ray evidence of proteins in fossil feathers that sheds new light on feather evolution.
Evolution
Sep 21, 2023
0
211
Known for their striking yellow breast feathers and distinctive song, great tits are a common sight in gardens and countryside alike. Now, new research has revealed that some great tits may be more brightly colored that others, ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 14, 2023
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62
Five extinct species have been included on the ballot to find New Zealand's most popular feathered friend as competition organizers hope to draw attention to endangered birds.
Ecology
Jul 30, 2023
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28
Every bird you've ever seen—every robin, every pigeon, every penguin at the zoo—is a living dinosaur. Birds are the only group of dinosaurs that survived the asteroid-induced mass extinction 66 million years ago. But ...
Evolution
Jul 5, 2023
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269
New University of Alberta research is fluttering closer to turning chicken feathers into an effective filter for water decontamination.
Biochemistry
Jul 5, 2023
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71
China's Yanliao Biota, an assembly of fossils preserved in northeastern China dating from the Middle to Late Jurassic (174 to 145 million years ago), offers an important window into the evolution of vertebrates. With exceptional ...
Certain animals are able to adjust well to environments that have been created or altered by human activity. We live in an age in which urbanization is proceeding at an ever-faster rate, something that also affects fauna. ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 14, 2023
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48
Scales, spines, feathers and hair are examples of vertebrate skin appendages, which constitute a remarkably diverse group of micro-organs. Despite their natural multitude of forms, these appendages share early developmental ...
Evolution
May 17, 2023
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198
New fossils in amber have revealed that beetles fed on the feathers of dinosaurs about 105 million years ago, showing a symbiotic relationship of one-sided or mutual benefit, according to an article titled "Symbiosis between ...
Evolution
Apr 17, 2023
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284
An extreme closeup of feathers from a bird with an uncanny ability to hold water while it flies could inspire the next generation of absorbent materials.
Plants & Animals
Apr 11, 2023
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94
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They are among the characteristics that distinguish the extant Aves from other living groups. Feathers have also been noticed in those Theropoda which have been termed feathered dinosaurs. Although feathers cover most parts of the body of birds, they arise only from certain well-defined tracts on the skin. They aid in flight, thermal insulation, waterproofing and coloration that helps in communication and protection.
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