Feathers are among the most complex cutaneous appendages in the animal kingdom. While their evolutionary origin has been ...

From a central feather shaft extends a series of slender barbs, each sprouting smaller barbules, like branches from a bough, lined with tiny hooks. When these grasp on to the hooklets of ...

Scientists now believe that feathers didn’t just appear suddenly in birds. Instead, they evolved step by step from much ...

This image shows the magnified barbules of a white peacock's feathers, which feature long appendages that diffuse thermal radiation to keep the birds warm. Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert!

Understanding these genetic interactions is crucial for unraveling how morphological novelties like proto-feathers emerged ...

They differ from modern feathers by the absence of barbs and barbules, and by the lack of a follicle -- an invagination at their base. The emergence of proto-feathers likely marked the first key ...

Feathers are among the most complex cutaneous appendages in the animal kingdom. While their evolutionary origin has been widely debated ...