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Melanin Concentration Gradients in Modern and Fossil Feathers

Journal Article · · PLoS ONE
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [2]
  1. Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States). Dept. of Geology and Geophysics; DOE/OSTI
  2. Univ. of Akron, OH (United States). Dept. of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program
  3. Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States). Dept. of Geology and Geophysics; Bristol Univ. (United Kingdom). Departments of Earth and Biological Sciences
  4. SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
  5. Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (United States). Dept. of Geology and Geophysics
+ Show Author Affiliations
In birds and feathered non-avian dinosaurs, within-feather pigmentation patterns range from discrete spots and stripes to more subtle patterns, but the latter remain largely unstudied. A ,55 million year old fossil contour feather with a dark distal tip grading into a lighter base was recovered from the Fur Formation in Denmark. SEM and synchrotron-based trace metal mapping confirmed that this gradient was caused by differential concentration of melanin. To assess the potential ecological and phylogenetic prevalence of this pattern, we evaluated 321 modern samples from 18 orders within Aves. We observed that the pattern was found most frequently in distantly related groups that share aquatic ecologies (e.g. waterfowl Anseriformes, penguins Sphenisciformes), suggesting a potential adaptive function with ancient origins.
Research Organization:
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL)
Sponsoring Organization:
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC); US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-76SF00515
OSTI ID:
1627592
Journal Information:
PLoS ONE, Journal Name: PLoS ONE Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 8; ISSN 1932-6203
Publisher:
Public Library of ScienceCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (12)

Experimental subaqueous burial of a bird carcass and compaction of plumage journal June 2018
Biochemistry and adaptive colouration of an exceptionally preserved juvenile fossil sea turtle journal October 2017
Melanosomes or Microbes: Testing an Alternative Hypothesis for the Origin of Microbodies in Fossil Feathers journal March 2014
Recent advances in amniote palaeocolour reconstruction and a framework for future research journal September 2019
New occurrences of fossilized feathers: systematics and taphonomy of the Santana Formation of the Araripe Basin (Cretaceous), NE, Brazil journal January 2016
A guide to the field of palaeo colour: Melanin and other pigments can fossilise: Reconstructing colour patterns from ancient organisms can give new insights to ecology and behaviour journal April 2015
Fossil melanosomes or bacteria? A wealth of findings favours melanosomes: Melanin fossilises relatively readily, bacteria rarely, hence the need for clarification in the debate over the identity of microbodies in fossil anim journal December 2015
Chemical, experimental, and morphological evidence for diagenetically altered melanin in exceptionally preserved fossils journal September 2015
Melanin-Based Color of Plumage: Role of Condition and of Feathers' Microstructure journal July 2014
Fossilization processes of graptolites: insights from the experimental decay of Rhabdopleura sp. (Pterobranchia) journal March 2017
Low fossilization potential of keratin protein revealed by experimental taphonomy journal May 2017
Preferential attachment and colonization of the keratinolytic bacterium Bacillus licheniformis on black- and white-striped feathers journal April 2017

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Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Birds
Buoyancy
Feathers
Fossils
Keratins
Melanin
Paleoecology
Scanning electron microscopy