By targeting a single gene, scientists successfully turned chickens’ feet from scaly to feathery.
By tweaking a specific gene, scientists have discovered a way to permanently transform the scales on a chicken's feet into feathers. The results provide new insight into the bird's evolutionary origins from dinosaurs.
To perform this genetic switcheroo, scientists in Switzerland targeted the sonic hedgehog gene , which controls a signaling pathway that determines the development of certain characteristics while at the embryonic level. This includes the brain and spinal cord; limbs; and skin appendages, like scales and feathers, according to the study, published May 17 in the journal Science Advances.
After the eggs hatched, the scientists noticed the formation of downy juvenile feathers on the chicks' feet. These supersoft feathers were comparable to the feathers covering the rest of their bodies, according to the statement.—All hail the then! Chickens were revered for centuries before they were food"The effect is really clear once they hatch," Cooper said."And the change lasts.
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