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Male tanagers are meant to be noticed. Many species of the small, tropical bird sport deep black feathers and splashes of eye-catching color — electric yellows, traffic-cone oranges and nearly neon scarlets.

To achieve this flashiness (hào nhoáng, lọe loẹt, sặc sỡ), the birds must spend time and energy foraging (lục lọi, tìm tòi, kiếm thức ăn) for, and metabolizing (trao đổi chất), plants that contain special color pigments (sắc tố), which make their way into the feathers. A vibrantly colored male is thus sending an “honest signal,” many scientists have long theorized: He is alerting nearby females that he has a good diet, is in good health and would make a worthy mate.

But some birds may be guilty of false advertising (quảng cáo sai lệch), a new study suggests. Male tanagers have microstructures in their feathers that enhance their colors, researchers reported Wednesday in the journal Scientific Reports. These microstructures, like evolution’s own Instagram filters, may make the males seem as if they are more attractive than they truly are.

“Many male birds are colorful not just because they’re honestly signaling their quality, but because they’re trying to get chosen,” said Dakota McCoy, a doctoral student at Harvard University who conducted the research as part of her dissertation (luận văn tốt nghiệp).

Bài trước: Xin chúc mừng, là đội bóng rổ