Structural origin of the colored reflections from the black-billed magpie feathers

Vigneron, Jean Pol; Colomer, Jean-François; Rassart, Marie; Ingram, Abigail L.; Lousse, Virginie

doi:10.1103/physreve.73.021914

Cited by 65 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…close-packed hexagonal arrays; see also the study of Kinoshita [35]). Two-dimensional PCs have previously been described in peacocks [9] and magpies [36]. However, these differ from those found in ducks because they are square rather than hexagonal lattices [9]; have air rather than keratin between melanosomes [9]; and have hexagonally spaced air-spaces rather than filled melanosomes [36].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Two-dimensional PCs have previously been described in peacocks [9] and magpies [36]. However, these differ from those found in ducks because they are square rather than hexagonal lattices [9]; have air rather than keratin between melanosomes [9]; and have hexagonally spaced air-spaces rather than filled melanosomes [36]. Hexagonal PCs are ideal for achieving complete PBGs because of their near-circular periodicity ( figure 1a, inset); thus these results may have implications for the design of novel photonic structures [37].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A photonic heterostructure produces diverse iridescent colours in duck wing patches

Eliason

Shawkey

2012

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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The colours of birds are diverse but limited relative to the colours they can perceive. This mismatch may be partially caused by the properties of their colour-production mechanisms. Aside from pigments, several classes of highly ordered nanostructures (thin films, amorphous three-dimensional arrays) can produce a range of colours. However, the variability of any single nanostructural class has rarely been explored. Dabbling ducks are a speciose clade with substantial interspecific variation in the iridescent coloration of their wing patches (specula). Here, we use electron microscopy, spectrophotometry, polarization and refractive index-matching experiments, and optical modelling to examine these colours. We show that, in all species examined, speculum colour is produced by a photonic heterostructure consisting of both a single thin-film of keratin and a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice of melanosomes in feather barbules. Although the range of possible variations of this heterostructure is theoretically broad, only relatively close-packed, energetically stable variants producing more saturated colours were observed, suggesting that ducks are either physically constrained to these configurations or are under selection for the colours that they produce. These data thus reveal a previously undescribed biophotonic structure and suggest that both physical variability and constraints within single nanostructural classes may help explain the broader patterns of colour across Aves.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A photonic heterostructure produces diverse iridescent colours in duck wing patches

Eliason

Shawkey

2012

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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“…Photonic crystals composed of solid rods have been found in several bird species (e.g. Yoshioka and Kinoshita 2002;Zi et al 2003;Parker 2004;Vigneron et al 2006), whilst structures composed of partially-filled tubes exist in species of comb-jellyfish . Some polychaete (marine worm) and diatom species contain photonic crystals consisting of hollow tubes (Parker et al 2001;Fuhrmann et al 2004).…”

Section: Periodicity and Filling Fractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond butterflies—the diversity of biological photonic crystals

Welch

Vigneron

2007

Opt Quant Electron

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When biological photonic crystals are discussed, butterfly photonic crystals are often cited as representative; in fact, numerous diverse biological photonic crystals exist and butterfly photonic crystals have several quirks when compared with others, with the consequence that considering them typical is in many ways unhelpful. In this paper, we give an overview of biological photonic crystals and discuss their typical features, specifically with regard to their periodicities, geometries, chemical compositions, the wavelengths they reflect and their band gaps. The low refractive index contrast and low mean refractive index: a universal feature of biological photonic crystals compared with artificial ones is highlighted and attention is drawn to their comparatively complex band diagrams.

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“…Galliformes) [9,12,13]. The replacement of melanin with air in the core of hollow melanosomes has potentially important optical consequences, as it introduces both a low refractive index material (air) that can be tuned independent of melanosome spacing, and a sharp refractive index contrast along the direction perpendicular to the melanosome axis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How hollow melanosomes affect iridescent colour production in birds

2013

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Developmental constraints and trade-offs can limit diversity, but organisms have repeatedly evolved morphological innovations that overcome these limits by expanding the range and functionality of traits. Iridescent colours in birds are commonly produced by melanin-containing organelles (melanosomes) organized into nanostructured arrays within feather barbules. Variation in array type (e.g. multilayers and photonic crystals, PCs) is known to have remarkable effects on plumage colour, but the optical consequences of variation in melanosome shape remain poorly understood. Here, we used a combination of spectrophotometric, experimental and theoretical methods to test how melanosome hollowness-a morphological innovation largely restricted to birds-affects feather colour. Optical analyses of hexagonal close-packed arrays of hollow melanosomes in two species, wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) and violet-backed starlings (Cinnyricinclus leucogaster), indicated that they function as two-dimensional PCs. Incorporation of a larger dataset and optical modelling showed that, compared with solid melanosomes, hollow melanosomes allow birds to produce distinct colours with the same energetically favourable, close-packed configurations. These data suggest that a morphological novelty has, at least in part, allowed birds to achieve their vast morphological and colour diversity.

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Structural origin of the colored reflections from the black-billed magpie feathers

Cited by 65 publications

References 14 publications

A photonic heterostructure produces diverse iridescent colours in duck wing patches

A photonic heterostructure produces diverse iridescent colours in duck wing patches

Beyond butterflies—the diversity of biological photonic crystals

How hollow melanosomes affect iridescent colour production in birds

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