US EditionChickens sprouted dino-like feathers when scientists messed with the Sonic Hedgehog gene
- Scientists disrupted the Sonic Hedgehog gene in chickens, causing their feathers to resemble primitive proto-feathers temporarily.
- The altered chickens showed delayed feather development and naked spots at hatching, indicating the complexity of feather evolution.
- Research published in PLOS Biology suggests that proto-feathers likely provided thermal insulation before evolving into complex bird feathers.
- The study highlights the challenges in understanding early feather evolution and the robustness of the gene network in ensuring proper feather development.
13 Articles
13 Articles
What has Sonic the Hedgehog got to do with the evolution of bird feathers from dinosaur origins?
New analysis linking dinosaurs and Sonic the Hedgehog might explain how “proto-feathers” became the complex appendages, bird feathers. It’s widely accepted that birds are dinosaurs. Modern feathered friends are the evolutionary descendants of the family of dinosaurs known as theropods – bipedal dinosaurs which includes Velociraptor and Tyrannosaurus rex. But when, how and why feathers first emerged continues to be debated. The first proto-feathe…
Science Daily
From dinosaurs to birds: the origins of feather formation
Feathers, essential for thermoregulation, flight, and communication in birds, originate from simple appendages known as proto-feathers, which were present in certain dinosaurs.By studying embryonic development of the chicken, researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have uncovered a key role of a molecular signalling pathway (the Shh pathway) in their formation. This research provides new insights into the morphogenetic mechanisms that …
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