Anchiornis muscles revealed (1 Viewer)

Ben Creisler wrote me:

The actual paper has not been posted online yet, but here are some news items on a new study of Anchiornis soft tissue using lasers:

https://phys.org/news/2017-02-lasers-flesh-dino-bird-profile.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/...dinosaur-feathers-lasers-soft-tissue-science/

http://gizmodo.com/this-laser-reconstruction-of-a-four-winged-dinosaur-is-1792800473

Video

HKU Earth Scientist Reconstructs Feathered Dinosaurs in the Flesh with High Power Lasers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IfoZ9yw6EE

Enjoy,

Fred

The paper is now out in open access:

Xiaoli Wang, Michael Pittman, Xiaoting Zheng, Thomas G. Kaye, Amanda R. Falk, Scott A. Hartman & Xing Xu, 2017

Basal paravian functional anatomy illuminated by high-detail body outline

Nature Communications 8, Article number: 14576 (2017)
doi:10.1038/ncomms14576

Abstract:

Body shape is a fundamental expression of organismal biology, but its quantitative reconstruction in fossil vertebrates is rare. Due to the absence of fossilized soft tissue evidence, the functional consequences of basal paravian body shape and its implications for the origins of avians and flight are not yet fully understood. Here we reconstruct the quantitative body outline of a fossil paravian Anchiornis based on high-definition images of soft tissues revealed by laser-stimulated fluorescence. This body outline confirms patagia-bearing arms, drumstick-shaped legs and a slender tail, features that were probably widespread among paravians. Finely preserved details also reveal similarities in propatagial and footpad form between basal paravians and modern birds, extending their record to the Late Jurassic. The body outline and soft tissue details suggest significant functional decoupling between the legs and tail in at least some basal paravians. The number of seemingly modern propatagial traits hint that feathering was a significant factor in how basal paravians utilized arm, leg and tail function for aerodynamic benefit.

Free pdf: http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms14576

Enjoy,

Fred

Scott Hartman's detailed blog on the paper:

http://www.skeletaldrawing.com/home/anchiornissofttissue

Additional news and comments:


http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/20...o-flesh-out-what-dinosaurs-really-looked-like

http://www.redorbit.com/news/scienc...g-could-reveal-when-dinosaurs-started-flying/

Have fun,

Fred

If you want to know more about the animal:

XU Xing, ZHAO Qi, NORELL Mark, SULLIVAN Corwin, HONE David, ERICKSON Gregory, WANG XiaoLin, HAN FengLu & GUO Yu, 2009

A New Feathered Maniraptoran Dinosaur Fossil that Fills a Morphological Gap in Avian Origin

Chinese Science Bulletin 54(3):430-435 · February 2009

Abstract:

Recent fossil discoveries have substantially reduced the morphological gap between non-avian and avian dinosaurs, yet avians including Archaeopteryx differ from non-avian theropods in their limb proportions. In particular, avians have proportionally longer and more robust forelimbs that are capable of supporting a large aerodynamic surface. Here we report on a new maniraptoran dinosaur, Anchiornis huxleyi gen. et sp. nov., based on a specimen collected from lacustrine deposits of uncertain age in western Liaoning, China. With an estimated mass of 110 grams, Anchiornis is the smallest known non-avian theropod dinosaur. It exhibits some wrist features indicative of high mobility, presaging the wing-folding mechanisms seen in more derived birds and suggesting rapid evolution of the carpus. Otherwise, Anchiornis is intermediate in general morphology between non-avian and avian dinosaurs, particularly with regard to relative forelimb length and thickness, and represents a transitional step toward the avian condition. In contrast with some recent comprehensive phylogenetic analyses, our phylogenetic analysis incorporates subtle morphological variations and recovers a conventional result supporting the monophyly of Avialae.

Free pdf: https://www.researchgate.net/public...hat_fills_a_morphological_gap_in_avian_origin

For Björn:

Etymology
Anchiornis is from the Greek ‘Anchi’ (meaning ‘nearby’) and ‘ornis’ (meaning bird), referring to the animal’s being very closely related to birds; the specific epithet honors T. H. Huxley, who pioneered research into avian origins

Have fun,

Fred

Supplementary Information

http://www.nature.com/article-assets/npg/ncomms/2017/170228/ncomms14576/extref/ncomms14576-s1.pdf

Enjoy,

Fred

Fred Ruhe said:

For Björn:

Etymology
Anchiornis is from the Greek ‘Anchi’ (meaning ‘nearby’) and ‘ornis’ (meaning bird), referring to the animal’s being very closely related to birds; the specific epithet honors T. H. Huxley, who pioneered research into avian origins

Click to expand...

Fred, you´re too kind, unfortunately my MS doesn´t deal with the scientific names themselves, but is focused on the Swedish Common names (even if quite a few naturally are linked), at this point there´s only a minor number of Holocene birds (that has become extinct pre-1500) that has "official" Swedish names.

The full list is found here. Compare with the 10 828 species of modern days, however that short-list is the bulk of pre-historic birds that will find its way into my MS. Not many, but better than none. And those (Swedish) names (in the short list!) are almost all already solved and explained. There´s a few that I might return to you about.

But do keep posting etymology bits and pieces, not so much for me, on my behalf, but I would think that there are other "Latin lovers" that would appreciate it.

Keep up the good work!

Björn