SEM Image of Barbules in a Feather (IMAGE)
Caption
Researchers found that barbules-- the smaller, hook-like structures that connect feather barbs-- are spaced within 8 to 16 micrometers of one another in all birds, from the hummingbird to the condor. This suggests that the spacing is an important property for flight.
Credit
University of California San Diego
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Please credit University of California San Diego
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