Cited by 303Paleontology and Evolutionary Biologymelanin and skin pigmentationFossil Insects in Amber

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Fossilized melanosomes and the colour of Cretaceous dinosaurs and birds

Zhang, Fucheng, Kearns, Stuart L., Orr, Patrick J., Benton, Michael J., Zhou, Zhonghe, Johnson, Diane, Xu, Xing, Wang, Xiaolin·2010·Nature

DOI 10.1038/nature08740

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Abstract

Spectacular fossils from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Group of northeastern China have greatly expanded our knowledge of the diversity and palaeobiology of dinosaurs and early birds, and contributed to our understanding of the origin of birds, of flight, and of feathers. Pennaceous (vaned) feathers and integumentary filaments are preserved in birds and non-avian theropod dinosaurs, but little is known of their microstructure. Here we report that melanosomes (colour-bearing organelles) are not only preserved in the pennaceous feathers of early birds, but also in an identical manner in integumentary filaments of non-avian dinosaurs, thus refuting recent claims that the filaments are partially decayed dermal collagen fibres. Examples of both eumelanosomes and phaeomelanosomes have been identified, and they are often preserved in life position within the structure of partially degraded feathers and filaments. Furthermore, the data here provide empirical evidence for reconstructing the colours and colour patterning of these extinct birds and theropod dinosaurs: for example, the dark-coloured stripes on the tail of the theropod dinosaur Sinosauropteryx can reasonably be inferred to have exhibited chestnut to reddish-brown tones.

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Authors: Zhang, F., Kearns, S. L., Orr, P. J., Benton, M. J., Zhou, Z., Johnson, D., Xu, X., & Wang, X.
Affiliations: Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
University of Bristol (GB)
University College Dublin (IE)
The Open University (GB)
Corresponding author: Benton, Michael J.
Zhou, Zhonghe
ORCID: Zhang, Fucheng
Orr, Patrick J.
Benton, Michael J.
Zhou, Zhonghe
Xu, Xing
Wang, Xiaolin
Venue: Nature
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2010-01-27
Volume: 463
Issue: 7284
Pages: 1075-1078
ISSN: 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
1476-4687
DOI: 10.1038/nature08740
OpenAlex: W1966587486
Cited by: 303
References: 30
Citations by year: 2026: 8 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 21
FWCI: 15.57
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations: Nature (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Open Research Online (The Open University) (acceptedVersion)
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (submittedVersion)
Explore Bristol Research (submittedVersion)
Funders: Natural Environment Research Council (NE/E011055/1)
Topics: Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology
Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › melanin and skin pigmentation
Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Fossil Insects in Amber
Keywords: feathered dinosaurs, early birds, Jehol Group, Cretaceous, feather microstructure, collagen fibers, theropod dinosaurs
MeSH terms: Animals, Birds, China, Color, Feathers, Fossils, Phylogeny, Pigmentation, Melanosomes, Dinosaurs, Integumentary System, Extinction, Biological

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Fossilized melanosomes and the colour of Cretaceous dinosaurs and birds

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