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FIGURE 27 in A review of the feather mite family Gabuciniidae Gaud & Atyeo (Acariformes Astigmata: Pterolichoidea) of Brazil, with descriptions of eleven new species

FIGURE 27. Aetacarus accipiter sp. nov.: genu, tibia and tarsus I–IV of male (A–D), tarsus IV of female (E), dorsal opisthosoma of male (F), spermatheca of female (G).

FIGURE 24 in A review of the feather mite family Gabuciniidae Gaud & Atyeo (Acariformes Astigmata: Pterolichoidea) of Brazil, with descriptions of eleven new species

FIGURE 24. Hieracolichus falcon sp. nov.: legs I–IV of male (A–D), dorsal opisthosoma of male (E), distal part of tibia and tarsus IV (F) and spermatheca of female (G).

FIGURE 8 in A review of the feather mite family Gabuciniidae Gaud & Atyeo (Acariformes Astigmata: Pterolichoidea) of Brazil, with descriptions of eleven new species

FIGURE 8. Piciformobia adjuncta sp. nov., female: dorsal (A) and ventral (B) views, spermatheca (C); spermatheca of Piciformobia guirae Alzuet et al. (D).

FIGURE 18 in A review of the feather mite family Gabuciniidae Gaud & Atyeo (Acariformes Astigmata: Pterolichoidea) of Brazil, with descriptions of eleven new species

FIGURE 18. Proaposolenidia plumbea sp. nov.: genu, tibia and tarsus I–IV of male (A–D), tarsus IV of female (E), dorsal opisthosoma of male (F), spermatheca of female (G).

FIGURE 3 in A review of the feather mite family Gabuciniidae Gaud & Atyeo (Acariformes Astigmata: Pterolichoidea) of Brazil, with descriptions of eleven new species

FIGURE 3. Tocolichus toco sp. nov.: genu, tibia and tarsus I–IV of male (A–D), tarsus IV of female (E), dorsal opisthosoma of male (F), spermatheca of female (G).

FIGURE 12 in A review of the feather mite family Gabuciniidae Gaud & Atyeo (Acariformes Astigmata: Pterolichoidea) of Brazil, with descriptions of eleven new species

FIGURE 12. Capitolichus campoflicker sp. nov.: genu, tibia and tarsus I–IV of male (A–D), distal part of tibia and tarsus IV of female (E), dorsal opisthosoma of male (F).

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2020View details →

ENTSO-E PECD (European Climate Database) from MAF 2019 in CSV and Feather formats

ENTSO-E has published the PECD dataset with the Mid-term Adequacy Forecast (MAF) 2019: https://www.entsoe.eu/outlooks/midterm/#download The downloadable archive contains 3 large Microsoft Excel (~350 MB each). Each file contains the hourly data for all the considered weather years (1982-2016) for all the MAF regions (grouped in tabs). Here we provide the same data but in a more open and user-friendly format. Single files Data saved in CSV and <a href="https://blog.rstudio.com/2016/03/29/feather/">Feather format</a> (using R package feather 0.35). Each file contains the hourly data in a wide tabular format with area, day, month, hour and year (1982-2016). The files are: <ul> <li>PECD-MAF2019-wide-PV.csv (and .feather)</li> <li>PECD-MAF2019-wide-WindOffshore.csv (and .feather)</li> <li>PECD-MAF2019-wide-WindOnshore.csv (and .feather)</li> </ul> Split by year We provide here three archives each one containing a file per year. The files are: <ul> <li>PECD-MAF2019-wide-PV.single_years.tar.bz2</li> <li>PECD-MAF2019-wide-WindOffShore.single_years.tar.bz2</li> <li>PECD-MAF2019-wide-WindOnshore.single_years.tar.bz2</li> </ul>

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2020View details →

Feather morphology data to reveal constraints of feather growth

Abstract It has long been known that the growth-rate of feathers of birds is limited and that long feathers take disproportionally longer to grow than small feathers, which has severe consequences on moult duration and the completeness of moult in large birds. To reveal constraints of feather growth, we present two datasets: (a) Measurements taken from 45 plucked flight-feathers (14 primaries and 31 secondaries) from 6 dead Golden Eagles (4 – 13 primaries and/or secondaries per individual); (b) Measurements taken from all primaries of six passerine species. Explanations of the variables can be found in the Excel-files. More details about the two datasets presented here and a third dataset can be found in L. Jenni, K. Ganz, P. Milanesi, R. Winkler (2020): Determinants and constraints of feather growth. Plos ONE 10.1371/journal.pone.0231925.

opencc-zeroApr 2020View details →

Data from: Chemical preservation of tail feathers from Anchiornis huxleyi, a theropod dinosaur from the Tiaojishan Formation (Upper Jurassic, China)

A panel of geochemical techniques is used here to investigate the taphonomy of fossil feathers preserved in association with the skeleton of the Jurassic theropod Anchiornis huxleyi. Extant buzzard feathers were analysed in parallel to test whether the soft tissues morphologically preserved in the fossil also exhibit a high degree of chemical preservation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) indicate that clays and iron oxide pseudomorphs occur in the surrounding sediment and also reveal the preservation of melanosome-like microbodies in the fossil. Carbon gradient along a depth profile and co-occurrence of carbon and sulphur was shown in the fossil by elastic backscattering (EBS) and particle-induced X-ray emission (PIXE). The molecular composition of modern and fossil soft tissues was assessed from micro-Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (micro-ATR FTIR), solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (13C CP-MAS NMR) and pyrolysis- gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the presence of TMAH (TMAH-Py-GC-MS). Results show that the proteinaceous material that comprises the modern feathers is not present in the fossil feathers. The latter and the embedding sediment exhibit a highly aliphatic character. However, substantial differences could be evidenced between these samples, revealing that the organic matter of the fossil feathers is, at least partially, derived from original constituents of the feathers. The preservation of the fossil feathers, primarily expressed by the preservation of their morphology, seems to be associated with in situ polymerization of endogenous lipids. Sulphur probably played a role in the fossil preservation although no natural sulphurization took place.

opencc-zeroJul 2020View details →

Data from: Variations of mesozoic feathers: insights from the morphogenesis of extant feather rachises

The rachises of extant feathers, composed of dense cortex and spongy internal medulla, are flexible and light, yet stiff enough to withstand the load required for flight, among other functions. Incomplete knowledge of early feathers prevents a full understanding of how cylindrical rachises have evolved. Bizarre feathers with unusually wide and flattened rachises, known as "rachis-dominated feathers" (RDFs) have been observed in fossil non-avian and avian theropods. Newly discovered RDFs embedded in early Late Cretaceous Burmese ambers (~99 Ma) suggest the unusually wide and flattened rachises mainly consist of a dorsal cortex, lacking a medulla and a ventral cortex. Coupled with findings on extant feather morphogenesis, known fossil RDFs were categorized into three morphotypes based on their rachidial configurations. For each morphotype, potential developmental scenarios were depicted by referring to the rachidial development in chickens, and relative stiffness of each morphotype was estimated through functional simulations. The results suggest rachises of RDFs are developmentally equivalent to a variety of immature stages of cylindrical rachises. Similar rachidial morphotypes documented in extant penguins suggest that the RDFs are not unique to Mesozoic theropods, though they are likely to have evolved independently in extant penguins.

opencc-zeroAug 2020View details →

Down feather morphology reflects adaptation to habitat and thermal conditions across the avian phylogeny

Down feathers are the first feather types that appear in both the phylogenetic and the ontogenetic history of birds. Although it is widely acknowledged that the primary function of downy elements is insulation, little is known about the interspecific variability in the structural morphology of these feathers, and the environmental factors that have influenced their evolution. Here, we collected samples of down and afterfeathers from 156 bird species and measured key morphological characters that define the insulatory properties of the downy layer. We then tested if habitat and climatic conditions could explain the observed between-species variation in down feather structure. We show that habitat has a very strong and clearly defined effect on down feather morphology. Feather size, barbule length and nodus density all decreased from terrestrial towards aquatic birds, with riparian species exhibiting intermediate characters. Wintering climate, expressed as windchill (a combined measure of the ambient temperature and wind speed) had limited effects on down morphology, colder climate only being associated with higher nodus density in dorsal down feathers. Overall, an aquatic lifestyle selects for a denser plumulaceous layer, while the effect of harsh wintering conditions on downy structures appear limited. These results provide key evidence of adaptations to habitat at the level of the downy layer, both on the scale of macro- and micro-elements of the plumage. Moreover, they reveal characters of convergent evolution in the avian plumage and mammalian fur, that match the varying needs of insulation in terrestrial and aquatic modes of life.

opencc-zeroSep 2021View details →

Data belonging to: Lining the nest with more feathers increases offspring recruitment probability: Selection on an extended phenotype in the blue tit

Birds, among various other taxa, construct nests. Nests form an extended phenotype of the individual building it. Nests are used to extend control over the conditions in which offspring develop, and are therefore commonly considered to be shaped by selection. Nevertheless, scarcely any scientific evidence exist that nest composition is under selection. Here, we demonstrate with data from over 400 blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) nests collected over eight years that a higher proportion of feathers in the nest lining is positively associated with the probability of offspring to recruit as a breeding adult later in life. Strikingly, the extended phenotype (nest) was associated stronger with recruitment probability than phenotypic traits that have typically been considered important in selection (laying date, and female size and condition). Our findings suggest that the choice of nest material could be a maternal behaviour with potential lifelong effects on her offspring.

FIGURE 31 in Feather mites of the genus Trouessartia (Acariformes: Trouessartiidae) from passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) in Georgia, USA

FIGURE 31. Trouessartia pensylvanica sp. n., details. A, B—genu, tibia and tarsus I, II of male, respectively, C—tibia and tarsus IV of male, D—setae si, c2, c3 and sRIII of male, E—spermatheca and spermaducts, F—opisthosoma of female, dorsal view, G—opisthosoma and genital apparatus of male, ventral view.

FIGURE 22 in Feather mites of the genus Trouessartia (Acariformes: Trouessartiidae) from passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) in Georgia, USA

FIGURE 22. Trouessartia mniotilta sp. n., details. A, B—genu, tibia and tarsus I, II of male, respectively, C—tibia and tarsus IV of male, D—setae si, c2, c3 and sRIII of male, E—spermatheca and spermaducts, F—opisthosoma of female, dorsal view, G—opisthosoma and genital apparatus of male, ventral view.

FIGURE 19 in Feather mites of the genus Trouessartia (Acariformes: Trouessartiidae) from passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) in Georgia, USA

FIGURE 19. Trouessartia helmitheros sp. n., details. A, B—genu, tibia and tarsus I, II of male, respectively, C—tibia and tarsus IV of male, D—setae si, c2, c3 and sRIII of male, E—spermatheca and spermaducts, F—opisthosoma of female, dorsal view, G—opisthosoma and genital apparatus of male, ventral view.

FIGURE 16 in Feather mites of the genus Trouessartia (Acariformes: Trouessartiidae) from passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) in Georgia, USA

FIGURE 16. Trouessartia americana sp. n., details. A, B—genu, tibia and tarsus I, II of male, respectively, C—tibia and tarsus IV of male, D—setae si, c2, c3 and sRIII of male, E—spermatheca and spermaducts, F—opisthosoma of female, dorsal view, G—opisthosoma and genital apparatus of male, ventral view.

FIGURE 13 in Feather mites of the genus Trouessartia (Acariformes: Trouessartiidae) from passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) in Georgia, USA

FIGURE 13. Trouessartia seiurus sp. n., details. A, B—genu, tibia and tarsus I, II of male, respectively, C—tibia and tarsus IV of male, D—setae si, c2, c3 and sRIII of male, E—spermatheca and spermaducts, F—opisthosoma of female, dorsal view, G—opisthosoma and genital apparatus of male, ventral view.

FIGURE 10 in Feather mites of the genus Trouessartia (Acariformes: Trouessartiidae) from passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) in Georgia, USA

FIGURE 10. Trouessartia spizellae sp. n., details. A, B—genu, tibia and tarsus I, II of male, respectively, C—tibia and tarsus IV of male, D—setae si, c2, c3 and sRIII of male, E—spermatheca and spermaducts, F—opisthosoma of female, dorsal view, G—opisthosoma and genital apparatus of male, ventral view.

FIGURE 25 in Feather mites of the genus Trouessartia (Acariformes: Trouessartiidae) from passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) in Georgia, USA

FIGURE 25. Trouessartia ruticilla sp. n., details. A, B—genu, tibia and tarsus I, II of male, respectively, C—tibia and tarsus IV of male, D—setae si, c2, c3 and sRIII of male, E—spermatheca and spermaducts, F—opisthosoma of female, dorsal view, G—opisthosoma and genital apparatus of male, ventral view.

FIGURE 7 in Feather mites of the genus Trouessartia (Acariformes: Trouessartiidae) from passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) in Georgia, USA

FIGURE 7. Trouessartia ciris sp. n., details. A, B—genu, tibia and tarsus I, II of male, respectively, C—tibia and tarsus IV of male, D—setae si, c2, c3 and sRIII of male, E—spermatheca and spermaducts, F—opisthosoma of female, dorsal view, G—opisthosoma and genital apparatus of male, ventral view.