Fred Ruhe
Well-known member
Jingmai O’Connor, Gregory M. Erickson, Mark Norell, Alida M. Bailleul, Han Hu & Zhonghe Zhou, 2018
Medullary bone in an Early Cretaceous enantiornithine bird and discussion regarding its identification in fossils
Nature Communicationsvolume 9, Article number: 5169
Abstract:
Medullary bone is an ephemeral type of bone tissue, today found only in sexually mature female birds, that provides a calcium reservoir for eggshell formation. The presence of medullary bone-like tissues in extant birds, pterosaurs, and dinosaurs distantly related to birds shows that caution must be exercised before concluding that fossils bear medullary bone. Here we describe a new specimen of pengornithid enantiornithine from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation. Consisting of an isolated left hindlimb, the threedimensional preservation contrasts with the crushed preservation characteristic of most Jehol specimens. Histological examinations suggest this resulted from the presence of a thick layer of highly vascular bone spanning the medullary cavities of the femur and tibiotarsus, consistent with expectations for medullary bone in extant birds. Micro-computed tomographic scans reveal small amounts of the same tissue extending into the pedal phalanges. We consider the tissue to be homologous to the medullary bone of Neornithines.
Abstract and free pdf: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07621-z
Enjoy,
Fred
Medullary bone in an Early Cretaceous enantiornithine bird and discussion regarding its identification in fossils
Nature Communicationsvolume 9, Article number: 5169
Abstract:
Medullary bone is an ephemeral type of bone tissue, today found only in sexually mature female birds, that provides a calcium reservoir for eggshell formation. The presence of medullary bone-like tissues in extant birds, pterosaurs, and dinosaurs distantly related to birds shows that caution must be exercised before concluding that fossils bear medullary bone. Here we describe a new specimen of pengornithid enantiornithine from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation. Consisting of an isolated left hindlimb, the threedimensional preservation contrasts with the crushed preservation characteristic of most Jehol specimens. Histological examinations suggest this resulted from the presence of a thick layer of highly vascular bone spanning the medullary cavities of the femur and tibiotarsus, consistent with expectations for medullary bone in extant birds. Micro-computed tomographic scans reveal small amounts of the same tissue extending into the pedal phalanges. We consider the tissue to be homologous to the medullary bone of Neornithines.
Abstract and free pdf: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07621-z
Enjoy,
Fred
