Cassowary have many stunning and intimidating features - bright coloration, immense size, and a giant talon on each powerful foot - but nothing compares to the regal profile created by the crests on the top of their heads. Called “casques”, the function of these hard, keratinized structures has long been debated by scientists, but a recent thermal imagery may have offered an answer. Many birds in tropical climates have developed areas of their bodies that are full of little blood vessels and not covered by feathers; these “thermal windows” help them vent excess heat from their bodies. In many birds, that structure is the beak - but in cassowary, it appears to be the #casques that help them stay cool! #ratite #doublewattledcassowary #bigbird #adaptations #tropicalstyle #thermalwindows (at Houston Zoo) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzDxkjvBhWB/?igshid=17kfkf2zu32b2
