The ~125 million-year-old Early Cretaceous fossil beds of Los Hoyas, Spain, have long been known for producing thousands of petrified fish and reptiles (Fig. 1). However, researchers have uncovered an extremely rare, nearly ...
Archaeology
Mar 22, 2019
0
192
When naturalist Charles Darwin stepped onto the Galapagos Islands in 1835, he encountered a bird that sparked a revolutionary theory on how new species originate. From island to island, finches had wildly varied beak designs ...
Evolution
Mar 5, 2019
2
1677
Feathers evolved in dinosaurs and are a key characteristic of birds today. They are arranged in a precise hexagonal pattern in a bird's skin, but it has been unclear how this happens. According to a new study published February ...
Cell & Microbiology
Feb 21, 2019
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135
A 150-year-old fossil feather mystery has been solved by an international research team including Dr. Michael Pittman from the Department of Earth Sciences, the University of Hong Kong. Dr. Pittman and his colleagues applied ...
Archaeology
Feb 4, 2019
0
323
When it comes to flirting, animals know how to put on a show. In the bird world, males often go to great lengths to attract female attention, like peacocks shaking their tail feathers and manakins performing complex dance ...
Plants & Animals
Dec 18, 2018
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92
Iridescence is responsible for some of the most striking visual displays in the animal kingdom. Now, thanks to a new study of feathers from almost 100 modern bird species, scientists have gained new insights into how this ...
Plants & Animals
Dec 10, 2018
0
114
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
0
60
Chinese researchers have discovered and characterized a sophisticated mechanism in bird feathers that enhances tear resistance, overturning a centuries-old explanation of how bird feathers work. The newly discovered cascaded ...
Condensed Matter
Oct 1, 2018
0
31
Parrots—highly intelligent and highly verbal—may also ruffle their head feathers and blush to communicate visually, according to a new study published August 22 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Aline Bertin of the ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 22, 2018
1
37
Ever wondered where parrots get their bright plumage? An Otago-led project may have just solved the mystery.
Optics & Photonics
Jul 5, 2018
0
126
