早熟的
晚年的
羽毛
生物
动物
进化生物学
生态学
作者
Chih-Kuan Chen,Hao-Fen Chuang,Siao-Man Wu,Wen‐Hsiung Li
出处
期刊:PubMed
日期:2019-01-01
卷期号:58: e24-e24
被引量:10
标识
DOI:10.6620/zs.2019.58-24
摘要
Birds are the most abundant terrestrial vertebrates and their diversity is greatly shaped by the feathers. How avian evolution is linked to feather evolution has long been a fascinating question. Numerous excellent studies have shed light on this complex relationship by investigating feather diversity and its underlying molecular mechanisms. However, most have focused on adult domestic birds, and the contribution of feather diversity to environmental adaptation has not been well-studied. In this review, we described bird diversity using the traditional concept of the altricial-precocial spectrum in bird hatchlings. We combined the spectrum with a recently published avian phylogeny to profile the spectrum evolution. We then focused on the discrete diagnostic character of the spectrum, the natal down, and propose a hypothesis for the precocial-to-altricial evolution. For the underlying molecular mechanisms in feather diversity and bird evolution, we reviewed the literature and constructed the known mechanisms for feather tract definition and natal down development. Finally, we suggested some future directions for research on altricial-precocial divergence, which may expand our understanding of the relationship between natal down diversity and bird evolution.
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