feathers

Started by Zanither, March 17, 2011, 05:18:49 AM

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Seze Mune

Quote from: Ekirä on March 17, 2011, 11:33:13 AM
Presumably Pandora has a whole plethora of creatures that the movie doesn't show--plus, we have the Na'vi word for bird so I'm thinking the feathers came from those. ::)

But we are assuming an 'air animal' is a feathered thing.  That is a tacit assumption which isn't necessarily true. 

yayo: ["ja.jo] PF n. bird (c.w. from ya air and ioang animal)

Mildly Rabid

Remember, everyone, that the feathers not only look exactly like bird feathers, but also have the unique structure in their shafts and split like they have both smooth and hooked barbules. When the feathers move, they move like real bird feathers and not like plants. They are light like feathers, and not heavy as if it were a plant leaf of the same shape. Sorry guys, these are feathers that could only belong to a creature with the capacity for flight. Period.

But that doesn't mean we have to assume there are "sparrows flying around hometree." They could be more like woodpeckers or burrowing owls. They could have strange, alien features and a totally different shape than most birds have. All I know is that the creatures these feathers belong to can fly.

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Seze Mune

You know I have another theory.  These may be tendrils from the queues of various animals, dried (and perhaps dyed) in such a way as they resemble feathers.

Human No More

Those would seem to be too thick, not to mention the obvious scarcity of such a resource. They would also be extremely hard to arrange into a cohesive shape.
"I can barely remember my old life. I don't know who I am any more."

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Seze Mune

Quote from: Human No More on October 03, 2011, 11:19:12 PM
Those would seem to be too thick, not to mention the obvious scarcity of such a resource. They would also be extremely hard to arrange into a cohesive shape.

I can see your points.  However, nearly all the mammalian, reptilian and avian type life forms we've seen on Pandora seem to have queues or neural whips, so there would seem to be an abundance of raw (pardon the pun) material.  Also, when organic material is dried, it often shrinks considerably. For example, on Earth you would lose 3/4 of the weight of the beef when you are making jerky.  That *could* translate to the finished product being approximately 1/4 the size of the original. Also, different coloring might be achieved by using natural dyes in the drying process. 

As for the shapes, I imagine that a large prickly seed pod could be used to comb the filaments of the tendrils into the desired shape as they are set out to dry.

I'm not saying this is what happens, I'm just imagining the possibilities.  :)

Mildly Rabid

In the absence of another tie-breaker, the simpler idea wins.  :) For example; a good scientist would prefer to believe that watermelons are red all the time, instead of being purple until they are punctured. So if they appear and behave in every way to be feathers, and the other explanations do not have more evidence in their favor, it is safest to assume that there is a feathered creature on Pandora that we do not know about.

^Made by Jonas on www.naviblue.com

Äteya

Got this from Pandorapedia when I searched for the word feather.
The warbonnet fern was aptly named for the primary use of this plant—as headwear during times of both war and peace. The similarity to Native American headwear made from feathers is obvious, as Pandoran colonists have noted.
The most striking feature of the warbonnet fern is the iridescent blue of the leaves, which contain abundant anthocyanin pigments. These pigments are light-reactive chemicals that reflect blue light and that give color to blue and purple flowers and fruit. The warbonnet fern has evolved a close relationship with a particular species of forest bird, which is also a pale iridescent blue color and well camouflaged against the leaves of the plant. These birds feed on insects that are attracted to the blue leaves that have red lines radiating out from the center of the plant. Insects accumulate on the enlarged central apex or meristem, from which the leaves grow, and the small birds swoop in to feed.

It is fortunate that warbonnet ferns sprout readily from belowground buds because they are gathered and used regularly by the Na'vi. The dark nights are often illuminated by single leaves that have been mounted on trees with their glowing arrow-like pattern pointing to a special destination, reminiscent of earthly neon signs.

Seze Mune

Srane, we have the word for bird: yayo.  They are supposed to exist.  It's strange that in such a lush tropical environment there is not a bird to be seen in the visual effects.  I also found it strange that all of the critters appeared to be naked as mole rats or leather bound like rhinoceri.  Personally, I like furry things.  ;D

P.A.'li makto

Quote from: Seze Mune on October 15, 2011, 09:21:19 PM
  Personally, I like furry things.  ;D
Me too!
Honestly: 'though Pandora is a wonderful world, for me Earth horses are much more beautiful than ayfa'li, and also I prefer wolves to aynantang.
But the ikran is absolutely OK! Maybe because it's a reptile-like creature, which doesn't seem to lack feathers or fur...  :D

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Seze Mune

Quote from: P.A.'li makto on October 16, 2011, 06:05:35 AM
Quote from: Seze Mune on October 15, 2011, 09:21:19 PM
  Personally, I like furry things.  ;D
Me too!
Honestly: 'though Pandora is a wonderful world, for me Earth horses are much more beautiful than ayfa'li, and also I prefer wolves to aynantang.
But the ikran is absolutely OK! Maybe because it's a reptile-like creature, which doesn't seem to lack feathers or fur...  :D

Dragonlike, imo.  :)

'Oma Tirea

Quote from: Seze Mune on October 16, 2011, 12:25:23 PM
Quote from: P.A.'li makto on October 16, 2011, 06:05:35 AM
Quote from: Seze Mune on October 15, 2011, 09:21:19 PM
  Personally, I like furry things.  ;D
Me too!
Honestly: 'though Pandora is a wonderful world, for me Earth horses are much more beautiful than ayfa'li, and also I prefer wolves to aynantang.
But the ikran is absolutely OK! Maybe because it's a reptile-like creature, which doesn't seem to lack feathers or fur...  :D

Dragonlike, imo.  :)

Same with Toruk, dragonlike to the point where some people think they're dragons, which they're not ;P

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ÌTXTSTXRR!!

Srake serar le'Ìnglìsìa lì'fyayä aylì'ut?  Nari si älofoniru rutxe!!

Seze Mune

Quote from: 'Oma Tirea on October 16, 2011, 08:51:59 PM
Quote from: Seze Mune on October 16, 2011, 12:25:23 PM
Quote from: P.A.'li makto on October 16, 2011, 06:05:35 AM
Quote from: Seze Mune on October 15, 2011, 09:21:19 PM
  Personally, I like furry things.  ;D
Me too!
Honestly: 'though Pandora is a wonderful world, for me Earth horses are much more beautiful than ayfa'li, and also I prefer wolves to aynantang.
But the ikran is absolutely OK! Maybe because it's a reptile-like creature, which doesn't seem to lack feathers or fur...  :D

Dragonlike, imo.  :)

Same with Toruk, dragonlike to the point where some people think they're dragons, which they're not ;P



Certainly not!  Far more beautiful, in my humble opinion...   ;D

Zanither

Quote
Quote from: Seze Mune on October 16, 2011, 09:21:05 PM
Quote from: 'Oma Tirea on October 16, 2011, 08:51:59 PM
Quote from: Seze Mune on October 16, 2011, 12:25:23 PM
Quote from: P.A.'li makto on October 16, 2011, 06:05:35 AM
Quote from: Seze Mune on October 15, 2011, 09:21:19 PM
  Personally, I like furry things.  ;D
Me too!
Honestly: 'though Pandora is a wonderful world, for me Earth horses are much more beautiful than ayfa'li, and also I prefer wolves to aynantang.
But the ikran is absolutely OK! Maybe because it's a reptile-like creature, which doesn't seem to lack feathers or fur...  :D

Dragonlike, imo.  :)

Same with Toruk, dragonlike to the point where some people think they're dragons, which they're not ;P



Certainly not!  Far more beautiful, in my humble opinion...   ;D


I agree, Toruk and Ikran are  more Elegant then Dragons



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John Watson: Now people will definitely talk.

Kamean

Quote from: Zanither on October 17, 2011, 05:13:51 AM
Quote
Quote from: Seze Mune on October 16, 2011, 09:21:05 PM
Quote from: 'Oma Tirea on October 16, 2011, 08:51:59 PM
Quote from: Seze Mune on October 16, 2011, 12:25:23 PM
Quote from: P.A.'li makto on October 16, 2011, 06:05:35 AM
Quote from: Seze Mune on October 15, 2011, 09:21:19 PM
  Personally, I like furry things.  ;D
Me too!
Honestly: 'though Pandora is a wonderful world, for me Earth horses are much more beautiful than ayfa'li, and also I prefer wolves to aynantang.
But the ikran is absolutely OK! Maybe because it's a reptile-like creature, which doesn't seem to lack feathers or fur...  :D

Dragonlike, imo.  :)

Same with Toruk, dragonlike to the point where some people think they're dragons, which they're not ;P



Certainly not!  Far more beautiful, in my humble opinion...   ;D


I agree, Toruk and Ikran are  more Elegant then Dragons




I agree too.
Tse'a ngal ke'ut a krr fra'uti kame.


'Oma Tirea

Now if only others could at least not mistake them for dragons and appreciate the uniquity of these meioang,...

/offtopic

[img]http://swokaikran.skxawng.lu/sigbar/nwotd.php?p=2b[/img]

ÌTXTSTXRR!!

Srake serar le'Ìnglìsìa lì'fyayä aylì'ut?  Nari si älofoniru rutxe!!

Human No More

#55
Quote from: Seze Mune on October 15, 2011, 09:21:19 PM
Srane, we have the word for bird: yayo.  They are supposed to exist.  It's strange that in such a lush tropical environment there is not a bird to be seen in the visual effects.  I also found it strange that all of the critters appeared to be naked as mole rats or leather bound like rhinoceri.  Personally, I like furry things.  ;D
It's not strange, it can serve any number of evolutionary purposes from aesthetic (increased chance of selection and therefore greater chance of reproducing) to environmental (if there is no need to use them to retain heat, they will be dead weight, biologically speaking).

Plus, body hair is just not nice, at all :)


I seriously doubt anyone actually thinks ikran/toruk are dragons, not least because depictions of dragons vary ENORMOUSLY, and not even just western vs eastern ones. People who say 'dragons' are just intentionally being disparaging due to limited intelligence.
"I can barely remember my old life. I don't know who I am any more."

HNM, not 'Human' :)

Na'vi tattoo:
1 | 2 (finished) | 3
ToS: Human No More
dA
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"God was invented to explain mystery. God is always invented to explain those things that you do not understand."
- Richard P. Feynman

Tìsrusewä Karyu

Back to feathers. The most exotic outfit that Neytiri wears is the feather top for Jake's Dream Hunt. It is seen VERY briefly just before Jake is inducted into the clan. I'm a 1000 miles from my DVD, so I can't describe the feathers right now. The best scene with birds is in the scene "first sortie" when Jake, Grace, and Norm walk into the forest for the first time after Trudy lands them in the forest. Birds are also seen from a distance in many scenes where Trudy is flying her Sampson above the canopy of the forest. I have never doubted the existence of birds and feathers on Pandora, it's just one of many topics hinted at but not definitively shown in the movie.
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Seze Mune

Are there actually identifiable feathery birds, or only silhouettes?

Also, HNM, isn't hair supposed to be our crowning glory?  Most men aren't too happy to realize they are losing hair from that part of their anatomy.  And some even like facial hair.  On men, that is.   ;D

Human No More

Quote from: Seze Mune on October 20, 2011, 10:07:45 PM
Are there actually identifiable feathery birds, or only silhouettes?

Also, HNM, isn't hair supposed to be our crowning glory?  Most men aren't too happy to realize they are losing hair from that part of their anatomy.  And some even like facial hair.  On men, that is.   ;D
Yes, on the head, not the body. Big difference.

The reason humans are capable of growing long hair on their head is evolutionary - it's an indicator of health, while serving to attract attention.
"I can barely remember my old life. I don't know who I am any more."

HNM, not 'Human' :)

Na'vi tattoo:
1 | 2 (finished) | 3
ToS: Human No More
dA
Personal site coming soon(ish

"God was invented to explain mystery. God is always invented to explain those things that you do not understand."
- Richard P. Feynman

ToktorGrace

From a biologist perspective...

there is no reason Pandora MUST have birds - the fact that sentient life on another planet exists (in the Avatar universe) is already an astounding thing. Evolution has so many different ways it can go, and if you notice the physiological ways the animals are "built" they have many different types of constructs than are found on Earth. Just because life evolved a certain way on this planet does not mean that it will follow the same pattern (in fact, it will more likely evolve somewhat differently!). The niche occupied by birds is, arguably, occupied by other creatures on Pandora. yes there are a lot of winged creatures, but every one of those we see in the film is a more reptilian creature - ikran, toruk and the stingbats are examples.

I would assume the idea that birds, or feathered creatures, do not exist in the Pandoran jungles simply because there not only are none on screen but we don't even see any creature that HINTS to an evolutionary tie with such creatures.

There are many different possible sources for the feather-like ornamental pieces the Na'vi wear. Plants are ample, and I would be more inclined to assume a plant with some bright colors and feathery texture (like the warbonnet) may exist, given the immense plant diversity apparent from the movie and ASG. Also possible: wings from insects, and similar creatures may serve this purpose.

Just my two cents if we want to use science...
Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature.  - St. Augustine

 



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