Animals use color for camouflage, to send warning signals, attract mates, send social signals, and regulate their body temperature. UofH researchers have now discovered that in songbirds, the most colorful species of birds, the male species determines feather coloration and ornamentation. “Our findings show that the more colorful the species, the less feathers are replaced by the males in the first moult after leaving the nest,” explained Prof. Nir Sapir (Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology) who co-authored the paper with research fellow Yosef Kiat. “However, among females of the same species we found evidence suggesting that their coloration has no influence on molting and that they molt according to the coloration of the males.” Over 8,000 birds from more than 80 songbird species were examined in the study, published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology. Future research will examine whether any evolutionary mechanisms have evolved to compensate for the non-colorful females following the fashion trends set by the male. READ THE PRESS RELEASE.  MORE ON THIS STORY IN HAARETZ