Iridescence found in 40-million-year-old fossil bird feather

Known for their wide variety of vibrant plumage, birds have evolved various chemical and physical mechanisms to produce these beautiful colors over millions of years. A team of paleontologists and ornithologists led by Yale ...

A fossilized snake shows its true colors

Ten million years ago, a green and black snake lay coiled in the Spanish undergrowth. Once, paleontologists would have been limited to the knowledge they could glean from its colorless fossil remains, but now they know what ...

Study finds that protein puts the brakes on melanin

A year and a half ago, researchers at Brown University found a molecular gas pedal for melanin production. Now they've found a brake. For scientists, the finding deepens not only the basic understanding of how eyes, skin ...

Gentler, safer hair dye based on synthetic melanin

With the coronavirus pandemic temporarily shuttering hair salons, many clients are appreciating—and missing—using hair dye to cover up grays or touch up roots. Whether done at a salon or at home, frequent coloring, however, ...

Formation of the browning pigment melanin decoded

Melanin is a pigment which is present in almost all life forms and that determines hair and skin color in humans. It helps insects protect themselves against the effects of pathogenic microorganisms and it promotes tissue ...

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