A bizarre Jurassic maniraptoran from China with elongate ribbon-like feathers

Fucheng Zhang,Xiaolin Wang,Xing Xu,Zhonghe Zhou,Corwin Sullivan

doi:10.1038/npre.2008.2326.1

Fucheng Zhang, Xiaolin Wang + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/npre.2008.2326.1

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Abstract

AbstractRecent coelurosaurian discoveries have greatly enriched our knowledge of the dinosaur-bird transition, but all reported taxa close to this transition are from relatively well-known coelurosaurian groups^1-3^. Here we report a new basal avialan, Epidexipteryx hui gen. et sp. nov., from the Middle-Late Jurassic of Inner Mongolia, China. This new species is characterized by an unexpected combination of characters seen in several different theropod groups, particularly the Oviraptorosauria. Phylogenetic analysis shows it to be the sister taxon to Epidendrosaurus^4,5^, forming a new clade at the base of Avialae^6^. Epidexipteryx also possesses two pairs of elongate ribbon-like tail feathers (ETFs), and its limbs lack contour feathers for flight. This finding shows that a member of the avialan lineage experimented with integumentary ornamentation as early as the Middle-Late Jurassic, and provides further evidence relating to this important aspect of the transition from non-avian theropods to birds.

Highlights

Recent coelurosaurian discoveries have greatly enriched our knowledge of the dinosaur-bird transition, but all reported taxa close to this transition are from relatively well-known coelurosaurian groups[1,2,3]
Medium sized avialan with four elongate ribbon-like tail feathers (ETFs), highly procumbent and significantly enlarged anterior teeth, and a distally tapering pygostyle-like structure formed by 10 unfused caudals at the end of the tail (Figs. 1, 2; see Supplementary Information (SI))
Differs significantly from Epidendrosaurus, the only other known scansoriopterygid, in caudal morphology

Summary

Introduction

Recent coelurosaurian discoveries have greatly enriched our knowledge of the dinosaur-bird transition, but all reported taxa close to this transition are from relatively well-known coelurosaurian groups[1,2,3]. Medium sized avialan with four ETFs, highly procumbent and significantly enlarged anterior teeth, and a distally tapering pygostyle-like structure formed by 10 unfused caudals at the end of the tail The caudal series is much shorter than in non-avian theropods or in other basal avialans.

Results

Conclusion