Melanosome evolution indicates a key physiological shift within feathered dinosaurs

Quanguo Li, Julia A. Clarke (), Ke-Qin Gao, Chang-Fu Zhou, Qingjin Meng, Daliang Li, Liliana D’Alba and Matthew D. Shawkey ()
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Quanguo Li: State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences
Julia A. Clarke: University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station C1100
Ke-Qin Gao: School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Chang-Fu Zhou: Institute of Paleontology, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang 110034, China
Qingjin Meng: Beijing Museum of Natural History, 126 Tianqiao South Street, Beijing 100050, China
Daliang Li: Museum of China University of Geosciences (Beijing), 29 Xueyuan Road, 100083, China
Liliana D’Alba: University of Akron
Matthew D. Shawkey: University of Akron

Nature, 2014, vol. 507, issue 7492, 350-353

Abstract: Sampling of extant and fossil amniotes reveals that the diversity of melanosome morphologies increased sharply around the time of the origin of pinnate feathers in maniraptoran dinosaurs (the lineage leading to birds) and independently in mammals; lizard, turtle and crocodilian skin as well as archosaur filamentous body covering shows a limited diversity of melanosome forms, a pattern consistent with convergent changes in the melanocortin system of endothermic animals.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/nature12973

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