Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Pterylosis
‖
Pterˊy-lo′sis
,Noun.
[NL., fr. NL. & E.
pteryla
.] (Zool.)
The arrangement of feathers in definite areas.
Definition 2024
pterylosis
pterylosis
English
Noun
pterylosis (plural pteryloses)
- (ornithology) The particular arrangement of feathers on a bird.
- 2006, Ted R. Anderson, Biology of the Ubiquitous House Sparrow:
- In a detailed study of the pterylosis of the genus Passer (with special emphasis on the house sparrow), Clench (1970) identified nine feather tracts: dorsal, scapulohumeral, femoral, ventral, lateral neck, capital, alar, crural, and caudal.
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Related terms
Usage notes
Pterylosis refers to the arrangement of feathers and how they are implanted in the skin, while ptilosis refers to the properties of the feathers themselves.