Relative contributions of pigments and biophotonic nanostructures to natural color production: a case study in budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus) feathers

• DOI: 10.1242/jeb.064907
• Publication Date: 2012-03-22T23:43:37Z
• Authors: Liliana D’Alba; Leah Kieffer; Matthew D. Shawkey
• Keywords: Melopsittacus; Budgerigar

SUMMARY Understanding the mechanistic bases of natural color diversity can provide insight into its evolution and inspiration for biomimetic optical structures. Metazoans be colored by absorption light from pigments or scattering biophotonic nanostructures, these mechanisms have largely been treated as distinct. However, interactions between them rarely examined. Captive breeding budgerigars (Aves, Psittacidae, Melopsittacus undulatus) has produced a wide variety morphs spanning majority spectrum visible to birds, including ultraviolet, thus they used examples hypothesized structure–pigment interactions. empirical data testing in this excellent model system are lacking. Here we ultraviolet–visible spectrometry, electron microscopy, pigment extraction experiments modeling examine physical production seven budgerigar morphs, grey chromatic (purple yellow) colors. Feathers all contained quasi-ordered air–keratin ‘spongy layer’ matrices, but were highly reduced irregular yellow feathers. Similarly, feathers had layer melanin-containing melanosomes basal spongy layer. The presence likely increases saturation layers whereas their absence may allow increased expression Finally, caused some degree change except purple grey, suggesting that contribution is more widespread than previously thought. These illustrate how structures increase range colors attainable birds potentially synthetic systems.