Fossil primary feather in taxonomic and ecological prediction
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Ben Creisler
Jun 13, 2025, 11:39:35 AMJun 13
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Ben Creisler
A new paper:
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Jing Zhang, Baoxia Du, Jing Peng, Yiqiao Fu, Mingzhen Zhang, Jingjing Cai, Mingyang Wei & Aijing Li (2025)
The potential of fossil primary feather in taxonomic and ecological prediction
Cretaceous Research 106191
doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106191
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667125001144
Feathers, shaped by the interplay of phylogenetic factors and environmental behaviors, serve not only as critical indicators for avian classification but also as carriers of information regarding flight patterns and ecological habitats. Although isolated fossil feathers are frequently undervalued due to the lack of direct skeletal associations, their well-preserved outline and microstructure can provide critical insights into key issues such as feather evolution, the origin of flight behavior, and taxonomic diversity. In this study, we discovered an exceptionally well-preserved distal primary feather from the Lower Cretaceous in the Jiuquan Basin of northwest China. We extracted the morphological outlines of modern primary feathers for elliptic Fourier analysis and combined microstructural data to test whether feather morphology can be used to distinguish taxonomic groups, orders, and habitats. The results indicate that the flight feather morphology in modern birds is predominantly shaped by flight-related adaptations, with significant morphospace differentiation across flight types and taxonomic orders, while habitat exerts minimal influence on feather architecture. Furthermore, multivariate statistical analyses that incorporate fossil data into modern datasets suggest that the primary feather fossil occupies a morphospace position associated with terrestrial ecological and a flight mode similar to that of modern passerine type, indicating a potential association between the fossil feather and enantiornithines. However, accurate identification of fossil feather information requires expanded fossil data collection to uncover further insights embedded within the fossilized feathers.
Jing Zhang, Baoxia Du, Jing Peng, Yiqiao Fu, Mingzhen Zhang, Jingjing Cai, Mingyang Wei & Aijing Li (2025)
The potential of fossil primary feather in taxonomic and ecological prediction
Cretaceous Research 106191
doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106191
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667125001144
Feathers, shaped by the interplay of phylogenetic factors and environmental behaviors, serve not only as critical indicators for avian classification but also as carriers of information regarding flight patterns and ecological habitats. Although isolated fossil feathers are frequently undervalued due to the lack of direct skeletal associations, their well-preserved outline and microstructure can provide critical insights into key issues such as feather evolution, the origin of flight behavior, and taxonomic diversity. In this study, we discovered an exceptionally well-preserved distal primary feather from the Lower Cretaceous in the Jiuquan Basin of northwest China. We extracted the morphological outlines of modern primary feathers for elliptic Fourier analysis and combined microstructural data to test whether feather morphology can be used to distinguish taxonomic groups, orders, and habitats. The results indicate that the flight feather morphology in modern birds is predominantly shaped by flight-related adaptations, with significant morphospace differentiation across flight types and taxonomic orders, while habitat exerts minimal influence on feather architecture. Furthermore, multivariate statistical analyses that incorporate fossil data into modern datasets suggest that the primary feather fossil occupies a morphospace position associated with terrestrial ecological and a flight mode similar to that of modern passerine type, indicating a potential association between the fossil feather and enantiornithines. However, accurate identification of fossil feather information requires expanded fossil data collection to uncover further insights embedded within the fossilized feathers.
Gregory Paul
Jun 15, 2025, 6:54:09 PMJun 15
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Does anyone know of an age in millions of years for the last Hypacrosaurus fossil? Or of any lambeosaurine from N America?
GSPaul
Jerry Harris
Jun 16, 2025, 10:06:45 AMJun 16
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Although not definitively lambeosaurine, some suggestive elements from the New Egypt Formation (~66 Ma) of New Jersey have been suggested to be lambeosaurine: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-paleontology/article/an-elongate-hadrosaurid-forelimb-with-biological-traces-informs-the-biogeography-of-the-lambeosaurinae/3AADDB876793B4A99950C56D74CE2CD8
Steven Jasinski
Jun 17, 2025, 10:11:10 AMJun 17
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You can look at some of the supplemental files from Fowler (2017), but Hypacrosaurus altispinus is often shown at about 70 Ma (see also Eberth et al. (2013) for mention of remains from the base of the Morrin Member to the top of the Tolman Member of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation). Sullivan et al. (2011) and Jasinski et al. (2011) also mention a lambeosaurin from the Naashoibito Member in the San Juan Basin that potentially comes from the upper Maastrichtian, placing it about 69 Ma.
Not sure if there is any other late Maastrichthian lambeosaurine material, but those are more definite records for the group.
On Sun, Jun 15, 2025 at 6:54 PM 'Gregory Paul' via Dinosaur Mailing Group <DinosaurMa...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
Does anyone know of an age in millions of years for the last Hypacrosaurus fossil? Or of any lambeosaurine from N America?GSPaul
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Dr. Steven E. Jasinski
Environmental Science and SustainabilityHarrisburg University
Don Sundquist Center of Excellence in Paleontology
Franco Sancarlo
Jun 17, 2025, 10:11:10 AMJun 17
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From what i know the latest surviving lambeosaurine dinosaurs in North America (indeterminate taxon) became extinct around 69 million years ago in the late Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous (Sullivan et al 2011). In the paper talk in some lines about hypacrosaurus problably he would be usefull
Il Lun 16 Giu 2025, 00:54 'Gregory Paul' via Dinosaur Mailing Group <DinosaurMa...@googlegroups.com> ha scritto:
Does anyone know of an age in millions of years for the last Hypacrosaurus fossil? Or of any lambeosaurine from N America?GSPaul
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