RELAXING SELECTIVE PRESSURES ON DEVELOPMENTALLY COMPLEX INTEGUMENTARY STRUCTURES: FEATHER VANE SYMMETRY EVOLVES IN ADDITION TO BODY MASS AND WING LENGTH AFTER FLIGHT LOSS IN RECENT BIRDS
E. T. Saitta, L. E. Carden, J. S. Mitchell, P. J. Makovicky
This study examines how flight loss affects feather anatomy in birds, finding increased vane symmetry in flightless species, with more pronounced changes in ancient flightless lineages.
bioRxiv · Oct 24, 2023Evolutionary Biology