The morphology of neoptile feathers: Ancestral state reconstruction and its phylogenetic implications

Foth, Christian

doi:10.1002/jmor.10916

Cited by 19 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…4b ), which is also seen the dromaeosaurid Sinornithosaurus 38 . However, some recent studies suggest that this morphotype might represent a derived condition within birds 39 and its presence in non-avialan theropods might be a preservation artefact 27 . A variation of this morphotype is that the barbs are stiff rather than soft, and nearly parallel to each other for most of their length, and also much longer and thicker than the former (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

A bony-crested Jurassic dinosaur with evidence of iridescent plumage highlights complexity in early paravian evolution

Clarke

Eliason

et al. 2018

Nat Commun

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The Jurassic Yanliao theropods have offered rare glimpses of the early paravian evolution and particularly of bird origins, but, with the exception of the bizarre scansoriopterygids, they have shown similar skeletal and integumentary morphologies. Here we report a distinctive new Yanliao theropod species bearing prominent lacrimal crests, bony ornaments previously known from more basal theropods. It shows longer arm and leg feathers than Anchiornis and tail feathers with asymmetrical vanes forming a tail surface area even larger than that in Archaeopteryx. Nanostructures, interpreted as melanosomes, are morphologically similar to organized, platelet-shaped organelles that produce bright iridescent colours in extant birds. The new species indicates the presence of bony ornaments, feather colour and flight-related features consistent with proposed rapid character evolution and significant diversity in signalling and locomotor strategies near bird origins.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

A bony-crested Jurassic dinosaur with evidence of iridescent plumage highlights complexity in early paravian evolution

Clarke

Eliason

et al. 2018

Nat Commun

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“…This is especially true for feather generations in early ontogenetic stages in recent birds (Schaub 1912;Foth 2011;Fig. 4f).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

On the identification of feather structures in stem-line representatives of birds: evidence from fossils and actuopalaeontology

Foth

2011

Paläontol. Z.

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Dinosaurs with fossilized filamentous integument structures are usually preserved in a highly flattened state. Several different feather types have been described on this basis, but the two-dimensional preservation of specimens during fossilization makes the identification of single feather structures difficult due to overlapping feather structures in vivo. Morphological comparison with the diversity of recent feather types is therefore absolutely vital to avoid misinterpretation. To simulate the preservation process, a cadaver of recent Carduelis spinus (European siskin) was flattened in a printing press. Afterwards, the structure of the plumage was compared with the morphology of a single body feather from the same specimen. In comparison with the single feather, the body plumage of the flattened bird looked rather filamentous. It was almost impossible to identify single structures, and in their place, various artefacts were produced. The investigation of plumage in a specimen of the Mesozoic bird Confuciusornis sanctus reveals similar structures. This indicates that flattening of specimens during fossilization amplifies the effect of overlapping among feathers and also causes a loss of morphological detail which can lead to misinterpretations. The results are discussed in connection with some dubious feather morphologies in recently described theropods and basal birds. Based on recent feather morphology, the structure of so-called proximal ribbon-like pennaceous feathers (PRPFs) found in many basal birds is reinterpreted. Furthermore, the morphology of a very similarlooking feather type found in the forelimb and tail of an early juvenile oviraptorosaur is discussed and diagnosed as the first feather generation growing out of the feather sheath. Thus, the whole plumage of this theropod might represent neoptile plumage. Keywords Feather morphology Á Taphonomy Á Preservation Á TheropodaKurzfassung Dinosaurier mit fossilierten, filamentösen Integument-Strukturen sind in der Regel stark zerdrückt erhalten. Basierend auf diesen Funden wurden mehrere Federtypen beschrieben, allerdings ist die zweidimensionale Erhaltung während der Fossilisation die Identifikation von einzelnen Federstrukturen erschwert, da Federstrukturen in vivo einander überlappen. Des Weiteren ein morphologischer Vergleich mit der Fülle von rezenten Federtypen absolut wichtig ist, um Fehlinterpretationen zu vermeiden. Um diesen Prozess nachzuvollziehen wurde ein Kadaver von Carduelis spinus in einer Druckerpresse zerdrückt. Im Anschluss wurde die Struktur des Gefieders mit der Morphology einer einzelnen Körperfeder von Carduelis spinus verglichen. Im Vergleich zu der Einzelfeder ist das Gefieder des zerdrückten Vogels eher faserig. Einzelne Strukturen lassen sich schwer nachweisen, es können jedoch artifizielle Strukturen beobachtet werden. Die Untersuchung des Gefieders eines Exemplars des mesozoischen Vogels Confuciusornis sanctus führt zum ähnlichen Resultat. Das bedeutet, dass das Zerdrücken der Kadaver während der Fossilisation den Effekt der...

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“…Proposed apomorphies mainly concern soft tissue anatomy and include the reduction of a phallus and the morphology of the neoptile feathers (Montgomerie & Briskie 2007; Brennan et al. 2008; Mayr 2008a; Foth 2011). The only osteological apomorphy of Neoaves pertains to the morphology of the palatinum, which exhibits a well‐developed crista ventralis (Mickoleit 2004; Mayr 2008b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cenozoic mystery birds – on the phylogenetic affinities of bony‐toothed birds (Pelagornithidae)

Mayr¹

2011

Zoologica Scripta

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Mayr, G. (2011) Cenozoic mystery birds – on the phylogenetic affinities of bony‐toothed birds (Pelagornithidae). —Zoologica Scripta, 40, 448–467. The extinct Cenozoic bony‐toothed birds (Pelagornithidae) are characterized by the occurrence of unique spiky projections of the osseous jaws and are among the most distinctive neornithine taxa. Earlier authors considered these marine birds to be most closely related to ‘Pelecaniformes’ or Procellariiformes, but recent phylogenetic analyses resulted in a sister group relationship to Anseriformes. This latter hypothesis was, however, coupled with a non‐monophyly of galloanserine or even neognathous birds, which is not supported by all other current analyses. The character evidence for anseriform affinities of pelagornithids is thus reassessed, and it is detailed that the alleged apomorphies cannot be upheld. Pelagornithids lack some key apomorphies of galloanserine birds, and analysis of 107 anatomical characters did not support anseriform affinities, but resulted in a sister group relationship between Pelagornithidae and Galloanseres. By retaining a monophyletic Galloanseres, this result is in better accordance with widely acknowledged hypotheses on the higher‐level phylogeny of birds. The (Pelagornithidae + Galloanseres) clade received, however, only weak bootstrap support, and some characters, such as the presence of an open frontoparietal suture, may even support a position of Pelagornithidae outside crown‐group Neognathae.

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The morphology of neoptile feathers: Ancestral state reconstruction and its phylogenetic implications

Cited by 19 publications

References 27 publications

A bony-crested Jurassic dinosaur with evidence of iridescent plumage highlights complexity in early paravian evolution

A bony-crested Jurassic dinosaur with evidence of iridescent plumage highlights complexity in early paravian evolution

On the identification of feather structures in stem-line representatives of birds: evidence from fossils and actuopalaeontology

Cenozoic mystery birds – on the phylogenetic affinities of bony‐toothed birds (Pelagornithidae)

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