Abstract
IN a series of experiments now being carried out with Brown Leghorn chicks concerning the relation of thyroid gland to plumage characterisation, some interesting results are already apparent in the thyroidectomisod females. The operation was carried out when the birds were 6 weeks old, and 3 weeks after the operation the effect on the plumage became visible. Changes in coloration first appear in the contour feathers of the wing, shoulder and cape, the whole forming a continuous arc of brightly coloured feathers from one wing edge to the other when the bird is examined with the wings outstretched. Examination of control male chicks at the same time showed a similar continuous band of brightly coloured feathers replacing the juvenile plumage in these areas, while no such band was present in the control females. In the region of the saddle, brightly coloured feathers were also observed in the thyroidectomised females and in control males, while being absent in control females.
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GREENWOOD, A., BLYTH, J. Thyroid Gland and Plumage in Chickens. Nature 120, 476 (1927). https://doi.org/10.1038/120476a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/120476a0
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