Many bird species display bright blue, green and purple colors across their bodies. Think for example of the wings of a kingfisher or the head of a blue tit. Instead of pigments, these colors are produced by organized nanostructures inside their feathers (therefore called structural colors) and often function as important visual signals towards conspecifics. However, rarely has the evolution of these structural colors been studied.
In this project we measure the color of plumages from a broad sample of birds, use microscopy to determine the mechanism producing the observed feather color and conduct phylogenetic analyses to determine how widespread this coloration is among birds and the main factors associated with their evolution.
Objectives
This internship project has two main aims:
- To reveal the diversity of structural non-iridescent coloration among birds
- To determine broad macroevolutionary patterns of structural coloration (i.e. associations with ecological and life-history factors).
Methods
During this internship project you will sample bird specimens from the vast collection at Naturalis, collect feathers from bird skins, and measure feather reflectance using spectrophotometry. Moreover, you will use optical and electron microscopy to analyze feather morphology and perform phylogenetic comparative analyses on the data collected.
Student requirements
The student will work for a duration of 6 months on data collection and analyses. Students with a particular interest in Comparative methods, Functional morphology and Trait evolution are preferred.
The project is suitable for two master students or one master and one bachelor student.