Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Sep 15.
Published in final edited form as: Dev Biol. 2017 Mar 24;429(2):409–419. doi: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.03.022

Figure 5. PITX1 expression is reduced in the embryonic hindlimb of grouse-footed pigeons.

Figure 5

(A–C) Foot feathering phenotypes in domestic pigeon breeds. The metatarsus and foot of most pigeon breeds are covered with scaled epidermis (A). The grouse phenotype (B) is characterized by short feathers that tightly cover the metatarsus and digits. Pigeons with the muff phenotype (C) display extensive feathering on the hindlimb, as well as long flight-like feathers on the posterior toes. (D–E) qRT-PCR analyses of PITX1 and TBX5 expression in HH25 pigeon hindlimb buds. Boxes span 1st to 3rd quartiles, bars extend to minimum and maximum values, black line denotes median. For scale-footed embryos, n=4 sets of hindlimb buds, grouse n=4, muff n=10. *, p<0.05; **, p<0.01; ***, p<0.001. Photo credit for A, Sydney Stringham; B–C, modified from (Stringham et al., 2012).