According to a new study, the precise patterning of bird feathers relies on signaling through ectodysplasin (EDA) and its receptor EDAR -- the same signaling pathway known to be crucial for the ...

A primordial developmental toolkit shared by all vertebrates, and described by a theory of the mathematician Alan Turing, sets the growth pattern for all types of skin structures. In 1952, well before ...

Richard Banati does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond ...

When you think of a feather, what comes to mind? Peacock plumage in flamboyant, iridescent blues? Or maybe a leafy glade full of forest creatures and woodsy hues? The natural beauty and extraordinary ...

Complex and vibrant bird plumage inspired Darwin’s concept of sexual selection as well as many a poem and painting. But feather patterns are not directly coded in DNA, and only now has it become clear ...

Feathers evolved in dinosaurs and are a key characteristic of birds today. They are arranged in a precise hexagonal pattern in a bird's skin, but it has been unclear how this happens. According to a ...