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A newly hatched ornamentation American coot
A newly hatched American coot (Fulica americana) chick showing the extraordinary offspring ornamentation typical of the species. A study found the bright colors of the chicks of American coots help their parents choose favorites.
[Research supported by National Science Foundation grants IOS 0808579 and IOS 0443807.]
Learn more in the University of California, Santa Cruz, news story The mysterious case of the ornamented coot chicks has a surprising explanation. (Date image taken: June 21, 2007; date originally posted to NSF Multimedia Gallery: May 15, 2020)
Credit: Bruce Lyon
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