Parrots are red to attract mates, right?
Maybe not, says an Arizona State University
researcher.
Behavioral ecologist Kevin McGraw has uncovered
the chemistry behind the colors of parrots,
describing on a molecular level what is responsible
for their bright red feathers.
McGraw's work casts a new light on what is
chemically responsible for the colors of birds.
Details are in a paper published this week
in the journal Biology Letters.
McGraw said parrots "may not be using
color in the classic cases of mate choice
or competitive ability." Instead, the
pigments may be playing a role as antioxidants
to quench free radicals and protect cells
and tissues in the body from oxidative damage.
In other words, the pigments help cleanse
the parrot's body and keep the birds healthy,
McGraw said.
So quenching free radicals trumps love, McGraw
said. Great.
- William Hermann
