The evolution of flight in birds is one of the most extraordinary events in natural history. A fundamental event was the formation of feathers, which first appeared in flightless ancestral theropod dinosaurs. In our previous work we showed that the transient inhibition of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signalling in the chick embryo, led to the failure of flight feather development in the wings of mature birds (Ref 1). Flight feathers are found along the posterior margin of the bird wing and are responsible for most of the flapping, gliding and soaring abilities that enable airborne locomotion. This project builds on our recent unpublished finding that loss of flight feathers causes a ‘polarity shift’ in which the adjacent rows of other feather types are improperly positioned. Based on these preliminary findings we propose a model in which the flight feather buds produce signalling proteins, which initiate the progressive positioning of the other feathers. This involves a process of self-organisation – like the one proposed by Alan Turing in his seminal work – that can be revealed by computational modelling alongside experimental observations.

In this project, we will investigate how feathers are positioned in the chick wing by using a combination of cutting edge embryological/molecular techniques and computational modelling. The findings will have significant implications for the evolution of bird flight and how other structures are precisely positioned during animal development. The project is suitable for a mathematics/physics student who is keen to move into biology, or a biology student with knowledge of cell/developmental biology and genetics who is keen to develop quantitative skills. The student will be provided with an interdisciplinary training in computational modelling, quantitative analysis and laboratory skills.

1 Development 147, doi:10.1242/dev.188821 (2020).

Closing date:  6th January 2025 (17:00 GMT)

To apply click here

For informal enquiries contact: m.towers@sheffield.ac.uk