The plumage and colouration of an enantiornithine bird from the early cretaceous of china

Jennifer A. Peteya; Julia A. Clarke; Quanguo Li; Ke‐Qin Gao; Matthew D. Shawkey

doi:10.1111/pala.12270

journal article Nov 13, 2016

The plumage and colouration of an enantiornithine bird from the early cretaceous of china

Jennifer A. Peteya Julia A. Clarke

Quanguo Li Ke‐Qin Gao Matthew D. Shawkey

Palaeontology Vol. 60 No. 1 pp. 55-71 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1111/pala.12270

Abstract

AbstractBrilliant colour displays and diverse feather morphologies that are often sexual ornaments are common throughout much of extant Avialae. Here we describe a new basal enantiornithine bird specimen recovered from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Liaoning Province in northeastern China. We present new information on the plumage of Bohaiornithidae as well as the first detailed colour reconstruction of an enantiornithine bird. The new specimen retains subadult skeletal characteristics, including periosteal pitting of the long bone epiphyses and unfused elements, while also preserving plumage evidence consistent with sexual maturity at the time of death. Exceptionally‐preserved feathers cover the body, including elongate crown feathers, body contour feathers, asymmetrically‐veined wing primaries, an alula and two elongate rachis‐dominated rectrices that may have been sexual ornaments. The crown, neck, and body contour feathers retain elongate melanosome morphologies associated with weakly iridescent colouration in extant feathers. We provide additional evidence of preserved melanin using Raman spectroscopy; a rapid, non‐destructive chemical technique. The new specimen provides data on skeletal ontogeny in the Bohaiornithidae as well as evidence for intraspecific communication functions of plumage.

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Details

Published: Nov 13, 2016
Vol/Issue: 60(1)
Pages: 55-71
License: View

Authors

J

Jennifer A. Peteya

Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program University of Akron Akron OH 44325‐3908 USA

J

Julia A. Clarke

Department of Geological Sciences University of Texas at Austin 1 University Station C1100 Austin TX 78712 USA

Q

Quanguo Li

State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology China University of Geosciences Beijing 100083 China

K

Ke‐Qin Gao

School of Earth and Space Sciences Peking University Beijing 100871 China

M

Matthew D. Shawkey

Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program University of Akron Akron OH 44325‐3908 USA

Funding

National Science Foundation Award: 1251922

National Natural Science Foundation of China Award: 41272031

Cite This Article

Jennifer A. Peteya, Julia A. Clarke, Quanguo Li, et al. (2016). The plumage and colouration of an enantiornithine bird from the early cretaceous of china. Palaeontology, 60(1), 55-71. https://doi.org/10.1111/pala.12270

The plumage and colouration of an enantiornithine bird from the early cretaceous of china

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