Piscivory in the feathered dinosaur Microraptor

Area of Science:

• Paleontology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Dinosaur Ecology

Background:

• Previous studies suggested Microraptor gui inhabited arboreal environments based on gut contents and functional morphology.
• The evolution of flight in non-avian dinosaurs is a key area of research in paleontology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feeding ecology of Microraptor gui using a new specimen with preserved gut contents.
• To provide new insights into the behavior and diet of early flying dinosaurs.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of preserved gut contents from the largest Microraptor gui specimen.
• Examination of morphological adaptations related to diet, including dentition.

Main Results:

• The gut contents of the Microraptor gui specimen were identified as teleost fish remains.
• Morphological features, such as reduced serrations and forward-projecting dentary teeth, support a partially piscivorous diet.
• Microraptor gui exhibited adaptations for exploiting both arboreal and aquatic prey.

Conclusions:

• Microraptor gui was not exclusively arboreal and had a partially piscivorous diet.
• This dinosaur was an opportunistic and generalist feeder within the Early Cretaceous Jehol ecosystem.
• The findings enhance our understanding of non-avian dinosaur feeding habits and the early evolution of flight.
• Meta_The_largest_specimen_of_the_four-winged_dromaeosaurid_dinosaur_Microraptor_gui_includes_preserved_gut_contents._Previous_reports_of_gut_contents_and_considerations_of_functional_morphology_have_indicated_that_Microraptor_hunted_in_an_arboreal_environment._The_new_specimen_demonstrates_that_this_was_not_strictly_the_case,_and_offers_unique_insights_into_the_ecology_of_nonavian_dinosaurs_early_in_the_evolution_of_flight._The_preserved_gut_contents_are_composed_of_teleost_fish_remains._Several_morphological_adaptations_of_Microraptor_are_identified_as_consistent_with_a_partially_piscivorous_diet,_including_dentition_with_reduced_serrations_and_forward_projecting_teeth_on_the_anterior_of_the_dentary._The_feeding_habits_of_Microraptor_can_now_be_understood_better_than_that_of_any_other_carnivorous_nonavian_dinosaur,_and_Microraptor_appears_to_have_been_an_opportunistic_and_generalist_feeder,_able_to_exploit_the_most_common_prey_in_both_the_arboreal_and_aquatic_microhabitats_of_the_Early_Cretaceous_Jehol_ecosystem.
• Meta_Description