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 ...

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 ...

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!

The nanostructures in feathers are located in the barbules—tiny filaments that are too small to see with the naked eye, which project from the barbs, the horizontal strands that attach to the ...

UNIGE scientists reveal the key role of specific genes in feather development, providing insights into their evolution from dinosaurs.