It may well be that waterproof/oiled feathers are the key to keep the
feathers functionally intact (at least if this function consists in the
ability to fly) - some birds, for instance cormorants and relatives,
allow wetting of their feathers for underwater performance. These birds
carefully dry their feathers after their dives, but is it unfavourable
structure or unfavourable material properties which makes this
necessary? And does wetting improve these properties for the purpose of
swimming under water?
all the best,
Christian
___________________________________________________
Dr. Christian Hamm
Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Plankton Biomechanics
Pelagic Ecosystems/Biological Oceanography
Am Handelshafen 12/ Co 9
27570 Bremerhaven/Germany
tel. : +49-471-4831-1832
fax: +49-471-4831-1425
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
http://www.awi-bremerhaven.de/People/show?chamm
Julian Vincent wrote:
> MacLeod published 2 (I think) papers in J exp Biol in 1980, in one of
> which he looked at water sorption (which he called "regain"). Fraser
> and MacRae published some data in their review in the Mechanical
> Properties of Biological Materials (SEB Symposium no. 34, 1980). I
> can't remember seeing anything else on the topic.
> Remember that water runs off a duck's back . . . feathers can be made
> waterproof by oiling them during preening.
>
> Ulrike Wegst wrote:
>
>> Dear All,
>>
>> Thank you for the response to my earlier beta-keratin/feather question.
>> I am now curious to find out more about the natural moisture content
>> in feathers.
>> How high is it? How quickly does it change? How much does it affect
>> the mechanical properties of the beta-keratin: e.g. do birds fly
>> differently in rain because the properties of the material changes?
>> Are you aware of anybody, who has studied this?
>>
>> I am looking forward to hearing from you.
>>
>> Kind regards,
>> Ulrike Wegst
>>
>> Dr. Ulrike G.K. Wegst
>> Max-Planck-Institut für Metallforschung
>> Heisenbergstr. 3
>> D-70569 Stuttgart
>> Germany
>> Tel: +49(0)711-689-3423
>> Tel: +49(0)711-689-3412
>> Email: [log in to unmask]
>> e
>
>
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