Mummified precocial bird wings in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

Lida Xing (), Ryan C. McKellar (), Min Wang, Ming Bai, Jingmai K. O’Connor, Michael J. Benton, Jianping Zhang, Yan Wang, Kuowei Tseng, Martin G. Lockley, Gang Li, Weiwei Zhang and Xing Xu ()
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Lida Xing: State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences
Ryan C. McKellar: Palaeontology, Royal Saskatchewan Museum
Min Wang: Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ming Bai: Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jingmai K. O’Connor: Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Michael J. Benton: School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol
Jianping Zhang: School of the Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences
Yan Wang: Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University
Kuowei Tseng: University of Taipei
Martin G. Lockley: Dinosaur Tracks Museum, University of Colorado Denver
Gang Li: Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Science

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Our knowledge of Cretaceous plumage is limited by the fossil record itself: compression fossils surrounding skeletons lack the finest morphological details and seldom preserve visible traces of colour, while discoveries in amber have been disassociated from their source animals. Here we report the osteology, plumage and pterylosis of two exceptionally preserved theropod wings from Burmese amber, with vestiges of soft tissues. The extremely small size and osteological development of the wings, combined with their digit proportions, strongly suggests that the remains represent precocial hatchlings of enantiornithine birds. These specimens demonstrate that the plumage types associated with modern birds were present within single individuals of Enantiornithes by the Cenomanian (99 million years ago), providing insights into plumage arrangement and microstructure alongside immature skeletal remains. This finding brings new detail to our understanding of infrequently preserved juveniles, including the first concrete examples of follicles, feather tracts and apteria in Cretaceous avialans.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12089

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