北米の羽毛のある非鳥類恐竜は,翼の起源についての洞察を提供している
Darla K Zelenitsky1, François Therrien, Gregory M Erickson
1Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada. dkzeleni@ucalgary.ca
まとめ
オルニトミモサウルと呼ばれる羽ばたき恐竜は,以前は羽毛を持つことが知られていなかったが,繊維状の羽毛と成人の翼構造の証拠を示している. この発見は,原始の翼が,マニラプトラ以外のセロポッドに先行して進化したことを示唆している.
科学分野:
- パレオントロジー・パレオントロジー
- 進化生物学の進化生物学について
- 恐竜の古生物学について
背景:
- 恐竜の羽毛の進化は,マニラプトランのセロポッドでよく記録されていますが,そのより広範な起源を理解する際にはギャップがあります.
- オルニトミモサウルスは,マニラプトラ以外のセロポッドのグループで,以前は化石化した羽毛を持つことが知られていなかった.
研究 の 目的:
- オーニソミモサウルスの羽の存在と性質を調査する.
- 恐竜の羽毛と鳥の翼の進化的起源についての新しい洞察を得るために.
主な方法:
- カナダのアルバータ州にある上白亜紀の堆積物からの化石化したオルニソミマス標本の分析.
- 個体の異なる成長段階における羽の構造の検査.
主要な成果:
- 化石の証拠は,オルニソミムスの生命の各段階にわたって,繊維状の羽毛の覆いの存在を確認しています.
- 成人オルニソミマス標本の前肢に翼のような構造が確認された.
- 成人におけるこれらの翼のような構造の発達は,生殖行動との潜在的な関連を示唆しています.
結論:
- 羽毛はオルニトミモサウルスのような非マニラプトラ類のセロポッドにも存在し,羽毛の分布に関する理解を広げました.
- 原始的な翼,またはその前身は,以前から推測されたよりも早く,熱足類の進化に由来し,マニラプトランの熱足類に先立ちました.
- この発見は,鳥の飛行構造と恐竜のの初期の進化を理解するのに役立ちます.
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