2003-10-23
... ?Scientific American: Scientists Unravel Peacock's Beauty Secrets
The spectacular sight of a peacock's tail has made the animal synonymous with vanity. Researchers knew that the brilliant colors result from so-called structural coloration--that is, the interaction of light with features of the feathers--instead of pigmentation, but the precise mechanism of color production was unknown. New findings published online this week by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences unveil the creature's beauty secrets.
