As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Monday 25 February 2019

New clue in curious case of cassowary casque


200-year-old mystery surrounding iconic Australian bird
Date:  February 13, 2019
Source:  La Trobe University
A team of Australian scientists has completed research that could help solve a 200-year-old mystery surrounding an iconic Australian bird.
The La Trobe University researchers have published new evidence in Scientific Reports on the southern cassowary and its distinctive helmet -- known as a casque.
Danielle Eastick, from La Trobe's Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution and her team have shown the cranial structure acts like a radiator or "thermal window" to help the large, flightless birds keep cool in hot weather.
"Our results are quite compelling and it's highly probable this is what the casque is actually used for," Ms Eastick said.
"It's really exciting to think we may have solved a mystery that has baffled scientists for so long."
Using a handheld thermal imaging device, Ms Eastick obtained readings from 20 captive cassowaries, from Victoria through to northern Queensland and in different weather conditions.
The images showed that the birds released minimal heat from their casque when the weather was just five degrees and the greatest levels when the mercury reached 36 degrees.
Ms Eastick explained that as a large bodied, dark feathered creature, which is native to northern Queensland and Papua New Guinea, cassowaries face a thermal challenge in high temperatures.


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