Pennaraptoran Theropod Dinosaurs Past Progress and New Frontiers

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, Год журнала: 2020, Номер 440(1), С. 1 - 1

Опубликована: Авг. 21, 2020

Язык: Английский

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Functional constraints on the number and shape of flight feathers

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 121(8)

Опубликована: Фев. 12, 2024

As a fundamental ecological aspect of most organisms, locomotor function significantly constrains morphology. At the same time, evolution novel abilities has produced dramatic morphological transformations, initiating some significant diversifications in life history. Despite new fossil evidence, it remains unclear whether volant locomotion had single or multiple origins pennaraptoran dinosaurs and individual taxa are controversial. The powered flight modern birds involved exaptation feathered surfaces extending off limbs tail yet studies concerning potential pennaraptorans do not account for structure morphology wing feathers themselves. Analysis number shape remex rectrix across large dataset extant indicates that remiges rectrices degree primary vane asymmetry strongly correlate with ability revealing important functional constraints. Among these traits, phenotypic flexibility varies reflected by different rates at which changes evolve, such traits reflect ancestral condition, whereas others current function. While Mesozoic Microraptor have morphologies consistent birds, anchiornithines deviate providing strong evidence this clade was volant. results analyses support origin dinosaurian indicate early stages sampled currently available record.

Язык: Английский

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Earliest short-tailed bird from the Late Jurassic of China

Nature, Год журнала: 2025, Номер 638(8050), С. 441 - 448

Опубликована: Фев. 12, 2025

Язык: Английский

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The appearance and duration of the Jehol Biota: Constraint from SIMS U-Pb zircon dating for the Huajiying Formation in northern China

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Год журнала: 2020, Номер 117(25), С. 14299 - 14305

Опубликована: Июнь 8, 2020

The Lower Cretaceous Huajiying Formation of the Sichakou Basin in northern Hebei Province, China contains key vertebrate taxa early Jehol Biota, e.g., Protopteryx fengningensis , Archaeornithura meemannae Peipiaosteus and Eoconfuciusornis zhengi . This formation arguably documents second-oldest bird-bearing horizon, producing oldest fossil records two major Mesozoic avian groups Enantiornithes Ornithuromorpha. Hence, precisely determining depositional ages would advance our understanding evolutionary history Biota. Here we present secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) U-Pb zircon analysis results eight interbedded tuff/tuffaceous sandstone samples from Formation. Our findings, combined with previous radiometric dates, suggest that enantiornithine ornithuromorph birds Biota are ∼129−131 Ma, most likely first appeared at ∼135 Ma. expands biota’s temporal distribution late Valanginian to middle Aptian a time span about 15 My.

Язык: Английский

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Novel evolution of a hyper‐elongated tongue in a Cretaceous enantiornithine from China and the evolution of the hyolingual apparatus and feeding in birds

Journal of Anatomy, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 240(4), С. 627 - 638

Опубликована: Дек. 1, 2021

Abstract The globally distributed extinct clade Enantiornithes comprises the most diverse early radiation of birds in Mesozoic with species exhibiting a wide range body sizes, morphologies, and ecologies. fossil new enantiornithine bird, Brevirostruavis macrohyoideus gen. et sp. nov., from Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation Liaoning Province, northeastern China, preserves few important skeletal features previously unknown among stem extant birds, including an extremely elongate bony hyoid element (only slightly shorter than skull), combined short cranial rostrum. long provides direct evidence for evolution specialized feeding this species, appears similar to highly mobile tongue that is mobilized by paired epibranchials present living hummingbirds, honeyeaters, woodpeckers. likely linkage between food acquisition protrusion might have been key factor independent particularly hyobranchials birds.

Язык: Английский

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An Early Cretaceous enantiornithine bird with a pintail

Current Biology, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 31(21), С. 4845 - 4852.e2

Опубликована: Сен. 16, 2021

Язык: Английский

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Cretaceous ornithurine supports a neognathous crown bird ancestor

Nature, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 612(7938), С. 100 - 105

Опубликована: Ноя. 30, 2022

Язык: Английский

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Osteohistology of Enantiornithine Birds from the Lower Cretaceous Xiagou Formation

Geobios, Год журнала: 2025, Номер unknown

Опубликована: Март 1, 2025

Язык: Английский

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Forty new specimens of Ichthyornis provide unprecedented insight into the postcranial morphology of crownward stem group birds

PeerJ, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 10, С. e13919 - e13919

Опубликована: Дек. 16, 2022

Ichthyornis has long been recognized as a pivotally important fossil taxon for understanding the latest stages of dinosaur–bird transition, but little significant new postcranial material brought to light since initial descriptions partial skeletons in 19 th Century. Here, we present information on morphology from 40 previously undescribed specimens, providing most complete morphological assessment skeleton date. The includes four partially and numerous well-preserved isolated elements, enabling anatomical observations such muscle attachments Mesozoic euornitheans. Among elements that were unknown or poorly represented , specimens include an almost-complete axial series, hypocleideum-bearing furcula, radial carpal bones, fibulae, tarsometatarsus bearing rudimentary hypotarsus, one first-known nearly three-dimensional sterna avialan. Several pedal phalanges are preserved, revealing remarkably enlarged pes presumably related foot-propelled swimming. Although diagnosable exhibit substantial degree variation, some which may relate ontogenetic changes. Phylogenetic analyses incorporating our data employing alternative datasets recover stemward Hesperornithes Iaceornis line with recent hypotheses regarding topology crownward-most portion avian stem group, establish phylogenetically-defined clade names relevant avialan subclades help facilitate consistent discourse future work. provided by these improves evolution among non-neornithine avialans immediately preceding origin crown group birds.

Язык: Английский

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Exceptional preservation of soft tissue in a new specimen of Eoconfuciusornis and its biological implications

National Science Review, Год журнала: 2017, Номер 4(3), С. 441 - 452

Опубликована: Янв. 30, 2017

Abstract We report on an exceptional specimen of Eoconfuciusornis preserving rare soft-tissue traces the ovary and wing. Ovarian follicles preserve a greater hierarchy than observed in Jeholornis enantiornithines, suggesting confuciusornithiforms evolved higher rates yolk deposition parallel with neornithine lineage. The preserved soft tissues wing indicate presence propatagium postpatagium, whereas alular patagium is absent. Preserved remnants internal support network bear remarkable similarity to that living birds. Soft tissue suggests confuciusornithiform could maintain cambered profile generate lift. feathers their original patterning; however, this not strongly reflected by observable differences under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). tail plumage lacks elongate rectrices, earliest known were sexually dimorphic plumage.

Язык: Английский

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