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Quantifying Abdominal Pigmentation in Drosophila melanogaster
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Melanosome evolution indicates a key physiological shift within feathered dinosaurs.

Quanguo Li1, Julia A Clarke2, Ke-Qin Gao3

  • 1State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China.

Nature
|February 14, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Melanosome diversity increased with pinnate feathers in maniraptoran dinosaurs and mammals, linking form to color. This contrasts with reptiles and early dinosaur coverings, suggesting convergent evolution in color development.

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Area of Science:

  • Paleontology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Biomineralization

Background:

  • Color inference in extinct animals relies on melanosome morphology in modern birds.
  • Evolutionary history of melanosome diversity alongside integumentary structures like feathers and hair is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the evolution of melanosome morphology and its relationship with color across amniotes.
  • Determine when melanosome diversity increased relative to the origin of feathers and other integumentary structures.

Main Methods:

  • Analyzed melanosomes from 181 extant amniote species and 13 fossil specimens (lizards, turtles, dinosaurs, pterosaurs).
  • Examined Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous fossils from China.
  • Correlated melanosome morphology with color data from extant taxa.

Main Results:

  • A sharp increase in melanosome morphological diversity occurred near the origin of pinnate feathers in maniraptoran dinosaurs.
  • Mammals also exhibit greater melanosome diversity than ectothermic amniotes.
  • Melanosome form correlates with color in mammals and maniraptoran dinosaurs, enabling potential color reconstruction.
  • Limited melanosome diversity in lizards, turtles, crocodilians, and early archosaur filamentous coverings (dinosaur protofeathers, pterosaur pycnofibres) shows no correlation with color.

Conclusions:

  • Convergent evolution in the melanocortin system of mammals and birds may explain linked melanosome form and color.
  • This system influences both coloration and metabolic rate, potentially indicating a physiological shift in maniraptoran dinosaurs.
  • Color reconstruction is feasible for derived maniraptoran dinosaurs and mammals but not for early archosaur integuments.