The team achieved this transformation through the 'sonic hedgehog (Shh) gene,' which regulates a signaling pathway during embryonic development.
was altered, the embryonic chickens were programmed to grow feathers instead of scales on their feet, according to the authors. After the eggs hatched, the team noticed the chicken's feet were covered in supersoft feathers.
The research sheds new light on the evolutionary mechanisms of these animals. ‘‘Our results indicate that an evolutionary leap - from scales to feathers - does not require large changes in genome composition or expression. Instead, a transient change in expression of one gene, Shh, can produce a cascade of developmental events leading to the formation of feathers instead of scales,’’ said Milinkovitch.
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