Melanins are well-known biopolymers that are ubiquitous in nature, distributed widely in
microorganisms, plants, and animals, and play significant physiological roles. They are …

Gloger's rule is an ecogeographical rule that links animal colouration with climatic variation.
This rule is named after CWL Gloger who was one of the first to summarise the associations …

The first comprehensive review of all aspects of the biology of moult, drawing information
from across the literature and in all birds, from penguins to passerines. Feathers are …

Animals synthesize melanin pigments for the coloration of their skin and use it for their
protection from harmful solar radiation. Insects use melanins even more ingeniously than …

Melanins are widespread pigments in vertebrates, with important roles in visual signaling,
UV protection, and homeostasis. Fossil evidence of melanin and melanin-bearing …

The melanocortin system is a complex neuroendocrine signaling mechanism involved in
numerous physiological processes in vertebrates, including pigmentation, steroidogenesis …

The skin is a barrier between the internal and external environment of an organism.
Depending on the species, it participates in multiple functions. The skin is the organ that …

The colorful phenotypes of birds have long provided rich source material for evolutionary
biologists. Avian plumage, beaks, skin, and eggs—which exhibit a stunning range of cryptic …

Birds exhibit remarkable variation in plumage patterns, both within individual feathers and
among plumage patches. Differences in the size, shape, and location of pigments and …

Melanin, a black-brown pigment found throughout all kingdoms of life, has diverse biological
functions including UV protection, thermoregulation, oxidant scavenging, arthropod …