Re: Yixian Theropod

Glenn Morton (grmorton@waymark.net)
Thu, 22 Jan 1998 20:48:30 -0600

At 04:12 PM 1/22/98 -0600, Kevin Koenig wrote:
>
>A colleague and I have gone through the 1/8, vol.391 of Nature
>rather thoroughly. :-) We came upon the article, An exceptionally
>well-preserved theropod dinosaur from Yixian Formation of China.
>We took note of figure 2b, specifically "The integumentary
>structures are along the dorsal side and the tail . . . "
>
>Now in the same volume under news and views; Feathers,
>filaments and theropod dinosaurs; bottom of second paragraph, ".
>. . some are already incorporating Sinosauropyeryx into models for
>the origin of feathers and flight. Still others argue that the feathers
>are merely an artifact of preservation."
>
>We found it interesting that the "artifacts of preservation" appear
>only on the back, tail and belly. These are places where one
>would assume feathers, hairs or some kind of filamentous structure
>would appear.
>
>Does anyone know how or what produces artifacts of
>preservation? Why don't these artifacts of preservation appear
>around the open mouth, in between toes, around legs or under the
>chin?
I read somewhere and can't find it now, that some have suggested that the
'feathers' are frayed tendons and sinews. That would be an artifact of
preservation.

glenn

Adam, Apes, and Anthropology: Finding the Soul of Fossil Man

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