為了適應各種生活環境，鳥類演化出許多不同的飛行方式，以及各種羽毛的型態。然而過去多以分子生物學的方式來研究鳥類羽毛的蛋白質結構，對於其中蛋白質的含量以及比例所知甚少。為了了解飛羽羽軸中的蛋白質結構和比例如何使鳥類適應各種飛行方式，我們對七種鳥類進行研究。七種鳥類分別為家雞（chicken）、綠頭鴨（mallard）、埃及聖䴉（sacred ibis）、鳳頭蒼鷹（crested goshawk）、領角鴞（collared scops owl）、虎皮鸚鵡（budgie）、斑胸草雀（zebra Finch）。本研究將以同步輻射–傅立葉轉換紅外光譜顯微術（synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy, SR-FTIRM）測量和分析七種鳥類飛羽羽軸中的蛋白質二級結構（protein secondary structures），並且比較七種鳥類之間的差異。我們發現飛羽羽軸形態較為相似的鳥類間，蛋白質二級結構的比例較為接近。這項結果可以幫助我們更加深入了解鳥類飛羽的蛋白質結構，以及鳥類適應飛行的方式。

In order to adapt to various living environments, birds have evolved many different flight modes and various feather patterns. The method of molecular biology was mainly applied to study the protein structures of avian feathers in the past, and there is limited information about the protein content and ratio in avian feathers. To understand how the protein structures and combinations in the feather rachis allow birds adapt to various flight modes, we used seven species of birds for this study. The seven species of birds are chicken, mallard, sacred ibis, crested goshawk, collared scops owl, budgie, zebra finch. In this study, we investigated the protein secondary structures in the rachis of avian flight feathers and compare the differences between the seven species of birds. We found that the ratio of protein secondary structures among birds with similar flight feathers rachis morphology is closer. This result can help us better understand the protein structures of bird feathers and how birds adapt to flight.

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