zhejiangopterus



Online home of Henry Thomas, paleontologist and overall natural history geek


Feather diversity guide

Here are the many varieties of filamentous integument that have evolved in Avemetatarsalia. It's more complex than just the five stages! Quotes denote nicknames I give to filament types that, as far as I know, don't have a widely or technically used name yet. Tan vanes are made of many branching filaments, red vanes are solid.

References

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Brush, A.H. (1967). "Additional Observations on the Structure of Unusual Feather Tips". The Wilson Bulletin 79(3): 322-7.
Chen, P.; Dong, Z.; Zhen, S. (1998). "An exceptionally well-preserved theropod dinosaur from the Yixian Formation of China". Nature 391: 147-152.
Cincotta, A.; Nicolaï, M.; Campos, H.B.N.; McNamara, M.; D'Alba, L.; Shawkey, M.D.; Kischlat, E.-E.; Yans, J.; Carleer, R.; Escuillié, F.; Godefroit. F. (2022). "Pterosaur melanosomes support signalling functions for early feathers". Nature 604: 684-688.
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Saitta, E.T.; Gelernter, R.; Vinther, J. (2017). "Additional information on the primitive contour and wing feathering of paravian dinosaurs". Palaeontology 61(2).
Smyth, R.S.H.; Martill, D.M.; Frey, E.; Rivera-Sylva, H.E.; Lenz, N. (2020). "A maned theropod dinosaur from Gondwana with elaborate integumentary structures". Cretaceous Research withdrawn.
Wang, M.; O'Connor, J.K.; Pan, Y.; Zhou, Z. (2017). "A bizarre Early Cretaceous enantiornithine bird with unique crural feathers an an ornithuromorph plough-shaped pygostyle". Nature Communications 8: 14141
Xing, L.; McKellar, R.C.; Xu, X.; Li, G.; Bai, M.; Persons, W.S.; Miyashita, T.; Benton, M.J.; Zhang, J.; Wolfe, A.P.; Yi, Q.; Tseng, K.; Ran, H.; Currie, P.J. (2016). "A Feathered Dinosaur Tail with Primitive Plumage Trapped in Mid-Cretaceous Amber". Current Biology 26: 1-9.
Xing, L.; Cockx, P.; McKellar, R.C.; O'Connor, J. (2018). "Ornamental feathers in Cretaceous Burmese amber: resolving the enigma of rachis-dominated feather structure". Journal of Palaeogeography 7:13.
Xu X. (2020). "Filamentous Integuments in Nonavialan Theropods and Their Kin: Advances and Future Perspectives for Understanding the Evolution of Feathers". In: Foth, C.; Rauhut, O.W.M. (eds.). The Evolution of Feathers From Their Origin to the Present. pp. 67-78.
Xu, X.; Norell, M.A.; Kuang, X.; Wang, X.; Zhao, Q.; Jia, C. (2004). "Basal tyrannosauroids from China and evidence for protofeathers in tyrannosauroids". Nature 431: 680-684.
Xu, X.; Wang, K.; Zhang, K.; Ma, Q.; Xing, L.; Sullivan, C.; Hu, D.; Cheng, S.; Wang, S. (2012). "A gigantic feathered dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of China". Nature 484: 92-5.
Xu, X.; Zheng, X.; Sullivan, C.; Wang, X.; Xing, L.; Wang, Y.; Zhang, X.; O'Connor, J.K.; Zhang, F.; Pan, Y. (2015). "A bizarre Jurassic maniraptoran theropod with preserved evidence of membranous wings". Nature 521: 70-3.
Xu, X.; Zheng, X.; You, H. (2009). "A new feather type in a nonavian theropod and the early evolution of feathers". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106(3): 832-4.
Xu, X.; Zhou, Z.; Prum, R.O. (2001). "Branched integumental structures in Sinornithosaurus and the origin of feathers". Nature 410: 200-4.
Yang, Z.; Jiang, B.; McNamara, M.E.; Kearns, S.L.; Pittman, M.; Kaye, T.G.; Orr, P.J.; Xu, X.; Benton, M.J. (2019). "Pterosaur integumentary structures with complex feather-like branching". Nature Ecology & Evolution 3: 24-30.
Zhang, F.; Zhou, Z.; Dyke, G. (2006). "Feathers and 'feather-like' integumentary structures in Liaoning birds and dinosaurs". Geological Journal 41: 395-404.
Zhang, F.; Zhou, Z.; Xu, X.; Wang, X.; Sullivan, C. (2008). "A bizarre Jurassic maniraptoran from China with elongate ribbon-like feathers". Nature 455: 1105-8.
Zheng, X.; You, H.; Xu, X.; Dong, Z. (2009). "An Early Cretaceous heterodontosaurid dinosaur with filamentous integumentary structures". Nature 458: 333-6.

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