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contour feather

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
contour feather [′kän‚tu̇r ‚feth·ər]
(vertebrate zoology)
Any of the large flight feathers or long tail feathers of a bird. Also known as penna; vane feather.


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For those used to seeing birds only as a passing blur, reading `Providence' is like clicking on the MapQuest magnifying glass, zooming in as B, perched on Chester's finger, grooms his wings: `I can see his tongue, a pointed, triangular affair, working the plumes into the svelte vanes that form each contour feather .
The presence of contour feathers is important because it bears on whether early birds were warm-blooded.
 
 
 
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