1 Tahrcountry Musings: Speckles on bird eggs - Another myth shattered

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Speckles on bird eggs - Another myth shattered

The general belief is that the markings on the birds’ eggs are for camouflage, useful in concealing eggs from predators. Now British ornithologist Gosler and his team have shown that the function is to strengthen unusually fragile shells. The study shows that pigment chemicals that create the speckles may act as a kind of glue, supporting thin areas of shell and protecting them from breakage. The findings have been published in science journal Ecology Letters.

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