Contributions of feather microstructure to eider down insulation properties
Insulation is an essential component of nest structure that helps provide incubation requirements for birds. Many species of waterfowl breed in high latitudes where rapid heat loss can necessitate a high energetic input from parents and use down feathers to line their nests. Common eider Somateria m...
Published in: | Journal of Avian Biology |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Wiley
2017
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jav.01294 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fjav.01294 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jav.01294 |
id |
crwiley:10.1111/jav.01294 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crwiley:10.1111/jav.01294 2024-04-21T08:00:22+00:00 Contributions of feather microstructure to eider down insulation properties D'alba, Liliana Carlsen, Thomas Holm Ásgeirsson, Árni Shawkey, Matthew D. Jónsson, Jón Einar 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jav.01294 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fjav.01294 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jav.01294 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Journal of Avian Biology volume 48, issue 8, page 1150-1157 ISSN 0908-8857 1600-048X Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics journal-article 2017 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/jav.01294 2024-03-26T09:17:41Z Insulation is an essential component of nest structure that helps provide incubation requirements for birds. Many species of waterfowl breed in high latitudes where rapid heat loss can necessitate a high energetic input from parents and use down feathers to line their nests. Common eider Somateria mollissima nest down has exceptional insulating properties but the microstructural mechanisms behind the feather properties have not been thoroughly examined. Here, we hypothesized that insulating properties of nest down are correlated to down feather (plumule) microstructure. We tested the thermal efficiency (fill power) and cohesion of plumules from nests of two Icelandic colonies of wild common eiders and compared them to properties of plumules of wild greylag goose Anser anser . We then used electron microscopy to examine the morphological basis of feather insulating properties. We found that greylag goose down has higher fill power (i.e. traps more air) but much lower cohesion (i.e. less prone to stick together) compared to common eider down. These differences were related to interspecific variation in feather microstructure. Down cohesion increased with the number of barbule microstructures (prongs) that create strong points of contact among feathers. Eider down feathers also had longer barbules than greylag goose down feathers, likely increasing their air‐trapping capacity. Feather properties of these two species might reflect the demands of their contrasting evolutionary history. In greylag goose, a temperate, terrestrial species, plumule microstructure may optimize heat trapping. In common eiders, a diving duck that nests in arctic and subarctic waters, plumule structure may have evolved to maximize cohesion over thermal insulation, which would both reduce buoyancy during their foraging dives and enable nest down to withstand strong arctic winds. Article in Journal/Newspaper Common Eider Somateria mollissima Subarctic Wiley Online Library Journal of Avian Biology 48 8 1150 1157 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Wiley Online Library |
op_collection_id |
crwiley |
language |
English |
topic |
Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
spellingShingle |
Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics D'alba, Liliana Carlsen, Thomas Holm Ásgeirsson, Árni Shawkey, Matthew D. Jónsson, Jón Einar Contributions of feather microstructure to eider down insulation properties |
topic_facet |
Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
description |
Insulation is an essential component of nest structure that helps provide incubation requirements for birds. Many species of waterfowl breed in high latitudes where rapid heat loss can necessitate a high energetic input from parents and use down feathers to line their nests. Common eider Somateria mollissima nest down has exceptional insulating properties but the microstructural mechanisms behind the feather properties have not been thoroughly examined. Here, we hypothesized that insulating properties of nest down are correlated to down feather (plumule) microstructure. We tested the thermal efficiency (fill power) and cohesion of plumules from nests of two Icelandic colonies of wild common eiders and compared them to properties of plumules of wild greylag goose Anser anser . We then used electron microscopy to examine the morphological basis of feather insulating properties. We found that greylag goose down has higher fill power (i.e. traps more air) but much lower cohesion (i.e. less prone to stick together) compared to common eider down. These differences were related to interspecific variation in feather microstructure. Down cohesion increased with the number of barbule microstructures (prongs) that create strong points of contact among feathers. Eider down feathers also had longer barbules than greylag goose down feathers, likely increasing their air‐trapping capacity. Feather properties of these two species might reflect the demands of their contrasting evolutionary history. In greylag goose, a temperate, terrestrial species, plumule microstructure may optimize heat trapping. In common eiders, a diving duck that nests in arctic and subarctic waters, plumule structure may have evolved to maximize cohesion over thermal insulation, which would both reduce buoyancy during their foraging dives and enable nest down to withstand strong arctic winds. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
D'alba, Liliana Carlsen, Thomas Holm Ásgeirsson, Árni Shawkey, Matthew D. Jónsson, Jón Einar |
author_facet |
D'alba, Liliana Carlsen, Thomas Holm Ásgeirsson, Árni Shawkey, Matthew D. Jónsson, Jón Einar |
author_sort |
D'alba, Liliana |
title |
Contributions of feather microstructure to eider down insulation properties |
title_short |
Contributions of feather microstructure to eider down insulation properties |
title_full |
Contributions of feather microstructure to eider down insulation properties |
title_fullStr |
Contributions of feather microstructure to eider down insulation properties |
title_full_unstemmed |
Contributions of feather microstructure to eider down insulation properties |
title_sort |
contributions of feather microstructure to eider down insulation properties |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jav.01294 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fjav.01294 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jav.01294 |
genre |
Common Eider Somateria mollissima Subarctic |
genre_facet |
Common Eider Somateria mollissima Subarctic |
op_source |
Journal of Avian Biology volume 48, issue 8, page 1150-1157 ISSN 0908-8857 1600-048X |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/jav.01294 |
container_title |
Journal of Avian Biology |
container_volume |
48 |
container_issue |
8 |
container_start_page |
1150 |
op_container_end_page |
1157 |
_version_ |
1796940839512965120 |