Functional Microanatomy of the Feather-Bearing Integument: Implications for the Evolution of Birds and Avian Flight1

Homberger, Dominique G.; Silva, Kumudini N. de

doi:10.1668/0003-1569(2000)040[0553:fmotfb]2.0.co;2

Cited by 23 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…While insects, birds, and bats evolved independently from different ancestral lineages, their flight muscles are analogous striated muscles ( Iwamoto et al, 2002 ; Homberger and de Silva, 2015 ; Cheney et al, 2017 ). Vertebrate skeletal muscles and insect IFM have been extensively studied as representatives of striated muscles that contain bundles of myofibrils consisting of tandem repeats of sarcomeres as the contractile unit ( Iwamoto, 2011 ; Sweeney and Hammers, 2018 ).…”

Section: Contractility and Regulatory Mechanisms Of Different Flight mentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of Flight Muscle Contractility and Energetic Efficiency

Cao

Jin

2020

Front. Physiol.

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The powered flight of animals requires efficient and sustainable contractions of the wing muscles of various flying species. Despite their high degree of phylogenetic divergence, flight muscles in insects and vertebrates are striated muscles with similarly specialized sarcomeric structure and basic mechanisms of contraction and relaxation. Comparative studies examining flight muscles together with other striated muscles can provide valuable insights into the fundamental mechanisms of muscle contraction and energetic efficiency. Here, we conducted a literature review and data mining to investigate the independent emergence and evolution of flight muscles in insects, birds, and bats, and the likely molecular basis of their contractile features and energetic efficiency. Bird and bat flight muscles have different metabolic rates that reflect differences in energetic efficiencies while having similar contractile machinery that is under the selection of similar natural environments. The significantly lower efficiency of insect flight muscles along with minimized energy expenditure in Ca 2+ handling is discussed as a potential mechanism to increase the efficiency of mammalian striated muscles. A better understanding of the molecular evolution of myofilament proteins in the context of physiological functions of invertebrate and vertebrate flight muscles can help explore novel approaches to enhance the performance and efficiency of skeletal and cardiac muscles for the improvement of human health.

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Section: Contractility and Regulatory Mechanisms Of Different Flight mentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of Flight Muscle Contractility and Energetic Efficiency

Cao

Jin

2020

Front. Physiol.

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“…The integument, which is the outermost layer of an organism, is a good example of a complex organ that serves multiple functions, the most important of which is protection from the surrounding environment (e.g., water loss, ultra‐violet radiation, pathogens, and predators). The integument can also be used for intra‐ or interspecific communication (Schliemann, 2015), locomotion (e.g., feathers in birds; Clarke, 2013; Homberger & de Silva, 2015; Maderson & Alibardi, 2000), or adhesion (e.g., in anoles or geckos; Maderson, 1964; Russell, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Skin hydrophobicity as an adaptation for self‐cleaning in geckos

Riedel

Vucko

Blomberg

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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Hydrophobicity is common in plants and animals, typically caused by high relief microtexture functioning to keep the surface clean. Although the occurrence and physical causes of hydrophobicity are well understood, ecological factors promoting its evolution are unclear. Geckos have highly hydrophobic integuments. We predicted that, because the ground is dirty and filled with pathogens, high hydrophobicity should coevolve with terrestrial microhabitat use. Advancing contact‐angle (ACA) measurements of water droplets were used to quantify hydrophobicity in 24 species of Australian gecko. We reconstructed the evolution of ACA values, in relation to microhabitat use of geckos. To determine the best set of structural characteristics associated with the evolution of hydrophobicity, we used linear models fitted using phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS), and then model averaging based on AICc values. All species were highly hydrophobic (ACA > 132.72°), but terrestrial species had significantly higher ACA values than arboreal ones. The evolution of longer spinules and smaller scales was correlated with high hydrophobicity. These results suggest that hydrophobicity has coevolved with terrestrial microhabitat use in Australian geckos via selection for long spinules and small scales, likely to keep their skin clean and prevent fouling and disease.

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“…The exception is with the feathered birds as most of the animals are coated with hair over much of the body (Starcher, Aycock, & Hill, 2005). Mammalian skin, hair structure and development have been extensively studied and described, but surprisingly there are very few reports on the histological studies of the general bird skin structure, which were mainly done on the domestic birds (Lucas & Stettenheim, 1972;Spearman, 1983;Spearman & Hardy, 1985) with overwhelming focus on avian skin diseases and feather structure (Homberger & de Silva, 2000;Stettenheim, 2000). Further, the information is rather lacking in wild birds with very less literature available for the migratory birds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Histological study of the thin skin of a migratory song bird

2020

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Avian skin is remarkably different from common mammalian and much less studied in comparison. In the absence of recent studies on clear histological structure of avian skin, we undertook this study to see the thin skin structure of migratory song bird red-headed bunting (Emberiza bruniceps). The seasonal changes in photoperiod results in significant changes in the colour, texture, fat content and external plumage, and as of yet no reports exist on how it effects the structure of integument itself. As How to cite this article: Yadav G, Majumdar G, Singh NS. Histological study of the thin skin of a migratory song bird.

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Functional Microanatomy of the Feather-Bearing Integument: Implications for the Evolution of Birds and Avian Flight1

Cited by 23 publications

References 64 publications

Evolution of Flight Muscle Contractility and Energetic Efficiency

Evolution of Flight Muscle Contractility and Energetic Efficiency

Skin hydrophobicity as an adaptation for self‐cleaning in geckos

Histological study of the thin skin of a migratory song bird

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