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Journal article
Melanosomes or Microbes: Testing an Alternative Hypothesis for the Origin of Microbodies in Fossil Feathers
Scientific reports, v 4
05 Mar 2014
PMID: 25155873
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Microbodies associated with fossil feathers, originally attributed to microbial biofilm, have been reinterpreted as melanosomes: pigment-containing, eukaryotic organelles. This interpretation generated hypotheses regarding coloration in non-avian and avian dinosaurs. Because melanosomes and microbes overlap in size, distribution and morphology, we re-evaluate both hypotheses. We compare melanosomes within feathers of extant chickens with patterns induced by microbial overgrowth on the same feathers, using scanning (SEM), field emission (FESEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy. Melanosomes are always internal, embedded in a morphologically distinct keratinous matrix. Conversely, microbes grow across the surface of feathers in continuous layers, more consistent with published images from fossil feathers. We compare our results to both published literature and new data from a fossil feather ascribed to Gansus yumenensis (ANSP 23403). 'Mouldic impressions' were observed in association with both the feather and sediment grains, supporting a microbial origin. We propose criteria for distinguishing between these two microbodies.
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Details
- Title
- Melanosomes or Microbes: Testing an Alternative Hypothesis for the Origin of Microbodies in Fossil Feathers
- Creators
- Alison E. Moyer - North Carolina State UniversityWenxia Zheng - North Carolina State UniversityElizabeth A. Johnson - Colorado Northwestern Community CollegeMatthew C. Lamanna - Carnegie Museum of Natural HistoryDa-qing Li - Gansu Geol Museum, Lanzhou 730030, Gansu, Peoples R ChinaKenneth J. Lacovara - Drexel UniversityMary H. Schweitzer - North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
- Publication Details
- Scientific reports, v 4
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Number of pages
- 9
- Grant note
- David and Lucille Packard Foundation; The David & Lucile Packard Foundation DGE-1252376 / National Science Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biology
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000332204600001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-84896780494
- Other Identifier
- 991019169661604721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Multidisciplinary Sciences