20 Nebraskaland • August-September 2024
ike a trusty, utilitarian pair of cargo shorts, the
"accessories" genetics gifted to wild animals not only
provide style but also varying adaptations for survival.
Animals use their functional body adornments to
protect themselves from predators, acquire food, navigate
their environment, thermoregulate and even attract mates.
While cargo shorts aren't exactly the human ideal of "sexy,"
many species use functional fashion to display messaging of
strong genetics and lineage to prospective partners. Animal
"fashion" is the perfect intersection of function. And many
of these adaptations exist at the microscopic level.
Feathers
Whether pokey or soft, colorful or camoufl aged, feathers
generally come in seven unique "styles" — wing, down,
tail, contour, semiplume, fi loplume and bristle. Each type
of feather supports the bird in unique ways. Stemming from
a fi rm, yet supple central pillar called the rachis are thin
fi laments called barbs, which branch further into barbules.
Zoomed in, these teeny-tiny barbules possess interlocking
structures that hold the barbs "zipped" together, creating
tension to ensure a smooth surface for air or water to glide
across — such as on a "wing" feather.
Yet some feathers are less uniform: Down feather barbs
billow in chaotic fashion, trapping warm air closer to the
body of the animal. A bristle feather, by contrast, sports a
few barbed fi laments at the beginning, and then a towering,
naked rachis. These hair-like feathers are often found
around a bird's eyes and beak, off ering contextual sensory
information to the animal in whisker-like fashion.
While some feathers sprout from the bird's skin, others,
such as the primary wing feathers, will actually grow out
Functional
Fashion
In Wildlife
The interlocking barbule segments on a wild turkey's
contour feather show slight iridescence under light.
L
Story by Lauren Salick
Photos by Alex Wiles
