Dinosaur Plumage Coloration and appearance provide important behavioral evolutionary information in animals. However, for the most part, we do not know coloration of fossil terrestrial Li et al. (p. 1369 , published online 4 February) have reconstructed a theropod dinosaur by mapping features its well-preserved feathers comparing them with modern samples from birds. Feather color is partly determined melanosome density shape, this preserved recently discovered China. The was gray white limbs...

Iridescent feather colors involved in displays of many extant birds are produced by nanoscale arrays melanin-containing organelles (melanosomes). Data relevant to the evolution these and properties melanosomes their generation have been limited. A data set sampling variables avian reveals that those forming most iridescent distinctly narrow. Quantitative comparison with melanosome imprints densely sampled from a previously unknown specimen Early Cretaceous feathered Microraptor predicts its...

Feather of the Penguin Penguins are highly adapted for their cold, aquatic environment. Changes in wings and feathers have allowed rapid swimming protection from near-freezing water. Clarke et al. (p. 954 , published online 30 September; see cover) describe an early penguin, dating to about 35 million years ago, that includes well-preserved feathers. The melanosomes feathers, which influence strength, as well color, like those many other birds unlike present-day penguins, even though...

The Jurassic Yanliao theropods have offered rare glimpses of the early paravian evolution and particularly bird origins, but, with exception bizarre scansoriopterygids, they shown similar skeletal integumentary morphologies. Here we report a distinctive new theropod species bearing prominent lacrimal crests, bony ornaments previously known from more basal theropods. It shows longer arm leg feathers than Anchiornis tail asymmetrical vanes forming surface area even larger that in...

Summary Infection is an important source of mortality for avian embryos but parental behaviors and eggs themselves can provide a network antimicrobial defenses. Mound builders (Aves: Megapodiidae) are unique among birds in that they produce heat developing not by sitting on burying them carefully tended mounds soil microbially decomposing vegetation. The low infection rate one species particular, the Australian brush-turkey (Alectura lathami) suggests possess strong defensive mechanisms. To...

Stressful conditions early in life can give rise to exaggerated stress responses, which, while beneficial the short term, chronically increase lifetime exposure hormones and elevate disease risk later life. Using zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata , we show here that individuals whose glucocorticoid were experimentally increased for only a brief period post-natal life, inducing sensitivity, had reduced adult lifespans. Remarkably, breeding partners of such exposed also died at younger age....

Remarkably well-preserved soft tissues in Mesozoic fossils have yielded substantial insights into the evolution of feathers1. New evidence branched feathers pterosaurs suggests that originated avemetatarsalian ancestor and dinosaurs Early Triassic2, but homology these pterosaur structures with is controversial3,4. Reports homogeneous ovoid melanosome geometries2,5 suggest they exhibited limited variation colour, supporting hypotheses early functioned primarily thermoregulation6. Here we...

Plumage coloration can have substantial effects on a bird's energy budget. This is because different colours reflect and absorb light differently, affecting the heat loads acquired from solar radiation. We examine thermal of feather gain flight performance discuss potential role plumage colour Early investigations thermoregulation revealed complex interactions between environmental conditions physical properties that may led to diverse behavioural physiological adaptations birds their...

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...

Avian eggs are at risk of microbial infection prior to and during incubation. A large number defence mechanisms have evolved in response the severe costs imposed by these infections. The eggshell's cuticle is an important component antimicrobial defence, its role preventing contamination microorganisms domestic chickens well known. Nanometer-scale cuticular spheres that reduce attachment penetration recently been identified on several wild avian species. However, whether specifically for...

Abstract Plumage is among the most well-studied components of integumentary colouration. However, plumage conceals skin in birds, and as a result presence, evolution function colour remains unexplored. Here we show, using database 2259 species encompassing >99% bird genera, that melanin-rich, black found small but sizeable percentage (~5%) it evolved over 100 times. The spatial distribution follows Gloger’s rule, which states pigmentation endothermic animals increases towards equator....

Pelage coloration, which serves numerous functions, is crucial to the evolution of behavior, physiology, and habitat preferences mammals. However, little known about coloration Mesozoic mammaliaforms that coevolved with dinosaurs. In this study, we used a dataset melanosome (melanin-containing organelle) morphology quantitatively measured hair colors from 116 extant mammals reliably reconstruct six mammaliaforms, including previously undescribed euharamiyidan. Unlike highly diverse...

Abstract While the ecological roles of colored integument have been extensively studied, what regulates global patterns color variation remains poorly understood. Here, using a dataset 1249 squamates, we evaluate whether and how six key eco-environmental variables their interactions shaped evolutionary history coloration. We show that only habitat openness consistently associates with brightness evolution, brighter integuments favored in open habitats, possibly for enhanced heat reflection....

The role of developmental conditions in shaping adult phenotypes has been the focus a great deal recent work. However, effects early life stress on reproductive performance have little studied, particularly avian species. In addition, although there is large body evidence to suggest that prevailing environmental are linked changes breeding behavior, very work investigated interaction between past and current exposure determining success. this study, we examined elevated hormone levels...

The colours of living organisms are produced by the differential absorption light pigments (e.g. carotenoids, melanins) and/or physical interactions with biological nanostructures, referred to as structural colours. Only two fundamental morphologies non-iridescent nanostructures known in feathers, and recent work has proposed that they self-assemble intracellular phase separation processes. Here, we report a new biophotonic nanostructure blue feather barbs penguins (Eudyptula minor) composed...

In birds and feathered non-avian dinosaurs, within-feather pigmentation patterns range from discrete spots stripes to more subtle patterns, but the latter remain largely unstudied. A ∼55 million year old fossil contour feather with a dark distal tip grading into lighter base was recovered Fur Formation in Denmark. SEM synchrotron-based trace metal mapping confirmed that this gradient caused by differential concentration of melanin. To assess potential ecological phylogenetic prevalence...

Whether melanin-based colors honestly signal a bird's condition during the growth of feathers is controversial, and it unclear if, or how, physiological processes underlying melanogenesis role microstructure in imparting structural color to may be adversely affected by condition. Here, we report results from two experiments designed measure effect on expression eumelanic pheomelanic coloration black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), respectively....