Latest news with #EmilyGriffith
India Today
22-04-2025
- Science
- India Today
Owls use invisible pigment on their wings to send secret message
New research from Drexel University's College of Arts and Sciences has uncovered a fascinating hidden trait in Long-eared Owls: their feathers contain fluorescent pigments that glow under ultraviolet (UV) light, revealing a secret spectrum invisible to the human discovery, published in The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, suggests these glowing feathers might serve as a covert form of communication among by PhD candidate Emily Griffith, the study analysed feathers collected from 99 Long-eared Owls migrating through Michigan's Upper Peninsula in spring 2020. Using a fluorometer, a device that measures fluorescence, the team detected varying levels of fluorescent pigments—primarily porphyrins—in the owls' inner wing pigments emit a striking pink glow under UV light, which owl eyes can detect without artificial aid, unlike humans who require UV illumination. This discovery highlights a broader biological phenomenon. (Photo: Getty) Interestingly, the fluorescence is more intense in females and older birds, challenging the common assumption that bright plumage is a male trait used solely for sexual attraction. Instead, the pigment concentration exists on a spectrum influenced by age, sex, and researchers propose that the glow may function beyond mating signals, possibly aiding in heat regulation during incubation since females, who incubate eggs, exhibit higher pigment secretive nature of this fluorescence could allow owls to send signals to each other without alerting their prey, such as rodents, which cannot see UV courtship, males perform flights that might display these glowing feathers, potentially conveying information about health or fitness. However, the exact purpose remains uncertain, and the researchers emphasize that understanding these 'hidden' traits requires further discovery highlights a broader biological phenomenon: many animals possess traits invisible to humans, only revealed through advanced glowing feathers of Long-eared Owls add a new dimension to avian biology, suggesting that nature's communication channels extend far beyond what we can Watch
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Owl Wings Glow Pink And It Could Be Sending a Secret Message
The long-eared owl, Asio otus, is a majestic raptor known for its perky horn-like ear tufts, and cryptic herringbone markings that help it meld into its arboreal habitat. But in certain light, scientists discovered, its dappled forest camouflage is betrayed by fluorescent, day-glo pink wing feathers. Ornithologist Emily Griffith and her colleagues, from Northern Michigan University and the state's Whitefish Bird Point Observatory, examined feathers collected from the inner wings of 99 long-eared owls as the birds migrated through Michigan's Upper Peninsula in the Spring of 2020. They wanted to catalog the various rosy shades of fluorescent pigments this population sported, to see if they could decode what it might mean to those who can see it. Owl eyes can detect this magenta fluorescence – emitted by photosensitive pigments called porphyrins, from the Greek word for purple – even without the aid of a UV light, as can other birds with the ability to see in the ultraviolet spectrum. The fact that it's not in the spectrum visible to our own mammal eyes suggests it may be a perfect way of signaling to its peers without being detected by its main prey – rodents and other small mammals. The photosensitivity of porphyrins not only causes them to glow in the first place, it also makes them degrade with continual exposure to sunlight, which often means that avian fluorescence fades with feather age between molts. We know that other kinds of pigments in bird feathers play a role in signaling age, sex, size, and overall health to potential competitors and mates. For instance, even without a blacklight the researchers could guess the sex of long-eared owls by their dark (female) or light (male) plumage, although even this system is not foolproof, with roughly one third of the owls left without an assigned sex due to their intermediate coloring. But it's yet unknown if similar messages are written in these owls' ultraviolet undergarments. Griffith and team found feathers from older birds had much higher concentrations of the fluorescent pigments than younger birds, and were stronger in the darker-plumed females than in the light-colored males. Younger birds, and those with paler plumage overall, had stronger pigments if they were heavier. This, the authors note, suggests the pigments could function as an 'honest signal' of an owl's health. "It is possible that fluorescent pigments exhibited in long-eared owls are used in sexual selection," the authors write. "The only time in which these pigments may be directly on display (besides during flight) would be during courtship behavior, during which the male performs a courtship flight to attract females." But even if the owls were keenly attuned to the subtle differences in wing glow flaunted during male flight, it doesn't explain why females' wings should be so much brighter. "Moreover, this trait doesn't follow a strict binary – the amount of fluorescent pigments in these owls exists on a spectrum where the amount of pigment is related to size, age, and sex all together," Griffith says. The team suspects something else might be driving the major pigment differences: heat regulation. Fluorescent pigments in eggshells are known to help regulate heat by reflecting infrared wavelengths, and they could serve a similar function in the females' inner wing feathers, limiting heat loss while nesting. "This alternate hypothesis would explain why females have significantly more fluorescent pigments, as males do not incubate and are more physically active as they hunt for prey items while females take the primary role in incubation," the authors write. This research is published in The Wilson Journal of Ornithology. Strange Bacteria That Can't Live Alone Hint at Early Steps to Complex Life Mysterious 3-Toed Footprints in Canada Reveal New Ankylosaur Species Origins of Earth's Water May Not Be as Complicated as We Thought
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Denver becomes first Colorado K-12 school system to offer associate degree
DENVER (KDVR) — Students in the Denver Public Schools system will now be able to earn associate degrees in high-demand fields thanks to a new law. Last week, Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill 25-1221, 'Emily Griffith Associate of Applied Science Degree,' permitting the technical college to offer Associate of Applied Science degrees through a registered apprenticeship program and transferable general education courses. Polis signs bill preventing new liquor licenses from being issued to grocery stores The Emily Griffith Technical College is self-described as the 'public, postsecondary and adult education arm' of the Denver Public Schools system. Until now, the college has offered career and technical education certificates, concurrent enrollment for high school students, apprenticeships, English language acquisition and GED and continuing education courses. 'This new credential can help connect more Coloradans to needed skills that lead to good-paying jobs. I appreciate the work of the sponsors on this legislation and look forward to seeing Coloradans take advantage of it,' said Governor Jared Polis in a signing ceremony on Thursday. DPS called the legislation 'groundbreaking' and said it makes DPS 'the first pK-12 public education system in Colorado — and one if not the very first in the entire United States — to be able to issue higher education degrees. 'This is a transformative moment not just for DPS, but for public education across the country,' said DPS Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero in a release on Monday. 'By removing barriers between high school, college, and career, we're reimagining what it means to truly prepare students for the future.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
