PALEO200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Melanosome, Ornithischia, Anchiornis
14 Jul 2018
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Document Summary
In 2012, feathers were first reported from the large tyrannosauroid. Specimens unearthed over the last few years have suggested that some ornithischians might also have had feather like integument. Early ceratopsian psittacosaurus preserved unusual long and stiff brtisle like structures on its tail but it was unclear if these were related to the feathers of birds and theropods. 2009 = an ornithischian from china called tianyulong = covered in long filaments over most of its body. The most exciting specimen = summer of 2014 in russia = Kulindadromeus = preserves not just simple, bristle like filaments, but branching, feather like structures as well. See(cid:373)s likely that (cid:373)a(cid:374)y di(cid:374)o"s (cid:373)ight have had so(cid:373)e combination of scales, fluffy filaments or quills and true feather. Studies of modern birds have shown that feather color is influenced by the shape and arrangement of melanosomes which means: pigment cells within a feather.
