Abstract
Rotation of the earth around the sun paces daily biologic rhythms (circadian rhythms). Additional rhythms spanning days are mutidien. The energy for biologic rhythms is provided by metabolism. We measured biologic rhythms in dinosaur’s fossilized feather and rachis imprints and in contemporaneous wild turkey tail-feather. Daily growth lines were measured in 9 photographs of dinosaur feather-imprints. They were from an enantiornithine bird (Mesozoic 245-265 million years), from a troodontid theropod (Cretaceous ~160 million years) and from Sinosauropteryx (Early Cretaceous; ~125 million years; rachis only). We measured 27 growth lines and 39 rachis intervals in the turkey feather. We compared our measurements in the dinosaurs to those in the modern feather. We used biometrics to analyze the measurements, we found circadian and multidien rhythms in all feathers. The gliding Microraptor had large feathers. In contrast, the feathered dinosaurs had smaller feathers. Wild turkey feathers were of intermediate size. We conclude, based on measurements and statistically identified spectral peaks, that circadian and multidien rhythms are present in feather imprints of dinosaurs and in extant birds similar to those described in mammals. Feather growth is related to metabolism, to function and to body mass; this suggests a similar metabolism in feathered dinosaurs and modern birds.
Highlights
The energy necessary for life and its rhythms is provided by metabolism
Additional biologic rhythms exist that extend over several days or more that are linked to metabolism and not to celestial events; they are termed mutidien [1]
Like mammals, have circadian and multidien biologic rhythms [1]
Summary
The energy necessary for life and its rhythms is provided by metabolism. The changes in metabolism induced by the sun are synchronous with the sun rising every 24 hours, which is they are circadian (~24 hours). Additional biologic rhythms exist that extend over several days or more that are linked to metabolism and not to celestial events; they are termed mutidien [1]. We show that biologic rhythms can be derived from fossil imprints left in rock formations of feathered creatures that lived millions of years ago. We compared the imprints of feathers’ growth lines that measure circadian growth from the past with the corresponding measurements from extant birds. We modeled multidien biologic rhythms in these animals
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