Iridescent structural coloration in a crested Cretaceous enantiornithine bird from Jehol Biota

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Conflicts of Interest

Identified Weaknesses

Rating Explanation

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Paper Summary

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Shiny Dino-Bird Feather: Was It a Colorful Crest or Just Squished?

Microscopic analysis of a 120-million-year-old fossil feather from the Jehol Biota indicates it may have been iridescent. The feather has unusual barb morphology and melanosome arrangement, and its position on the bird's body is not definitive. The study suggests the feather may have been part of a colorful crest used by males for sexual display.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

None identified.

Identified Weaknesses

Taphonomic changes to melanosomes

The study acknowledges potential issues with taphonomy, but it does not test how pressure-induced changes to the shape or distribution of melanosomes affects estimations of color.

Position of feather

The isolated feather may have been from the neck, but it could also have been a body feather. The assumption that the feather is a crest feather is also dubious. The study also notes that the crest looks unusually large in some fossil birds, and this may be an artifact of compression.

Feather Morphology

The structure of the barbs and the size of the barbules mean that it is not clear whether the feather is a stage II or a stage IIIa type. The feather may not be homologous to a crest feather in a modern bird.

Rating Explanation

This study uses novel methods to investigate the structural coloration of a fossilized feather and links it to sexual selection. Although the study acknowledges some limitations related to feather morphology and fossilization processes, it provides compelling evidence for iridescent coloration in a stem-group bird. The rating reflects the quality of the methodology but acknowledges the need to address open questions regarding the morphology and positioning of the feather.

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