Structural proteins of scales with various morphologies were compared. Ventral reticulate scales have soluble proteins that differ from both dorsal reticulate scales and scutellate scales. Ventral reticulate scale proteins are more like those in reptilian scales, whereas both dorsal type scales have proteins of the ϕ‐keratin family found in beaks, claws, and feathers. The morphological similarity in avian reticulate scales is due to convergence as the result of functional requirements.
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Alan H. Brush (1985) studied this question.
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