Melanosomes are organelles that produce and store melanin, a widespread biological
pigment with a unique suite of properties including high refractive index, semiconducting …

Birds are one of the most recognizable and diverse groups of modern vertebrates. Over the
past two decades, a wealth of new fossil discoveries and phylogenetic and …

The ability of feathers to perform many functions either simultaneously or at different times
throughout the year or life of a bird is integral to the evolutionary history of birds. Many …

Structural colors arising from interactions of light with submicron scale periodic structures
have been found in many species across all taxa, serving multiple biological functions …

Background The origin of birds is one of the most enduring and dramatic evolutionary
debates. The hypothesis that the primarily small-sized birds are nested within a theropod …

Melanins are widespread pigments in vertebrates, with important roles in visual signaling,
UV protection, and homeostasis. Fossil evidence of melanin and melanin-bearing …

The wings of birds and their closest theropod relatives share a uniform fundamental
architecture, with pinnate flight feathers as the key component,,. Here we report a new …

The Extended Specimen highlights the research potential for ornithological specimens, and
is meant to encourage ornithologists poised to initiate a renaissance in collections-based …

Remarkably well-preserved soft tissues in Mesozoic fossils have yielded substantial insights
into the evolution of feathers 1. New evidence of branched feathers in pterosaurs suggests …

Melanins are the ubiquitous pigments distributed in nature. They are one of the main
pigments responsible for colors in living cells. Birds are among the most diverse animals …