At 08:20 31/10/1996 +1000, Harvey Perkins wrote:
>The other aspect of bird colouration that fascinates me is more genetic.
>The gene regulation mechanisms that must be in place to produce the range
>of age- and sex- related differences let alone the spacial differences over
>different parts of the bird's body must be very intricate. As a molecular
>biologist with some interest in gene regulation I've thought many times in
>the past that it would make an ideal project if funding could be obtained -
>unfortunately I haven't been able to come up with much in terms af it being
>applied research, and its bloody difficult to get funding for anything
>basic!
You might have more luck seeking funds from some wealthy avicultural
individual or commercial body overseas. Think of the millions spent on
trying to breed blue roses for the Japanese market. Now, if you could find
the genes that code for the brilliant blues of the fairy-wrens, the
irridescence of the bronzewings, and combine them within a Sulphur-crested
Cockatoo - and patented it... I am afraid it will happen.
Cheers, Hugo.
Hugo Phillipps,
RAOU Conservation & Liaison,
Australian Bird Research Centre,
415 Riversdale Road,
Hawthorn East, VIC 3123, Australia.
Tel: +61 3 9882 2622. Fax: +61 3 9882 2677.
Email: <>
The Virtual Emu: http://www.vicnet.net.au/~raou/raou.html
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