Nature’s Super Feather
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- Vanya Gregor Rohwer, curator at Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates, highlighted the filoplume, a tiny and often overlooked feather found at the base of flight feathers.
- Historically considered a degenerate or useless feather, filoplumes have recently gained recognition for their important role in monitoring and maintaining birds' feathers.
- Dr. Rohwer and his father, Sievert Rohwer, an expert feather researcher, emphasize the significance of filoplumes in keeping birds airborne.
- Feathers, which first appeared on dinosaurs around 150 million years ago, have evolved into six types on modern birds, all composed of keratin.
