Abstract
Research Article| October 10, 2017 EXPERIMENTAL TAPHONOMY OF KERATIN: A STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF EARLY TAPHONOMIC CHANGES EVAN T. SAITTA; EVAN T. SAITTA 1School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar CHRISTOPHER S. ROGERS; CHRISTOPHER S. ROGERS 2School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Field, N Mall, Cork, T23 XA50, Ireland Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar RICHARD A. BROOKER; RICHARD A. BROOKER 1School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar JAKOB VINTHER JAKOB VINTHER 1School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK 3School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar PALAIOS (2017) 32 (10): 647–657. https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2017.051 Article history first online: 16 Oct 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation EVAN T. SAITTA, CHRISTOPHER S. ROGERS, RICHARD A. BROOKER, JAKOB VINTHER; EXPERIMENTAL TAPHONOMY OF KERATIN: A STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF EARLY TAPHONOMIC CHANGES. PALAIOS 2017;; 32 (10): 647–657. doi: https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2017.051 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentBy SocietyPALAIOS Search Advanced Search Abstract: The evolution of integumentary structures, particularly in relation to feathers in dinosaurs, has become an area of intense research. Our understanding of the molecular evolution of keratin protein is greatly restricted by the fact that such information is lost during diagenesis and cannot be derived from fossils. In this study, decay and maturation experiments are used to determine if different keratin types or integumentary structures show different patterns of degradation early in their taphonomic histories and if such simulations might advance our understanding of different fossilization pathways. Although different distortion patterns were observed in different filamentous structures during moderate maturation and ultrastructural textures unique to certain types of scales persisted in moderate maturation, neither of these have been observed in fossils. It remains uncertain whether these degradation patterns would ever occur in natural sediment matrix, where microbial and chemical decay happens well before significant diagenesis. It takes some time for remains to be buried, meaning that keratin may not be left for moderate maturation to produce such patterns. Higher, more realistic maturation conditions produce a thick, and water soluble fluid that lacks all morphological and ultrastructural details of the original keratin, suggesting that such textural or distortion patterns are unlikely to be preserved in fossils. Although different degradation patterns among keratinous structures are intriguing, it is unlikely that such information could be recorded in the fossil record. Calcium phosphates and pigments are the surviving components of integumentary structures. Thus, the results here are likely of more relation to the archaeological record than fossil record. Other noteworthy results of these experiments are that melanin may not be the leading factor in determining the rate of microbial decay in feathers but may reduce the rate of degradation from maturation, that the existence of rachis filamentous subunits similar to plumulaceous barbules is supported, and that previously reported dinosaur ‵erythrocytes' may be taphonomic artifacts of degraded organic material. You do not currently have access to this article.
Highlights
Peptides can persist in some circumstances due to anaerobic, acidic conditions and occasionally through the association with toxic metals, iron presence results in only a corrosion cast and/or pseudomorphs of the keratin (Solazzo et al 2014; O’Connor et al 2015)
Millennia of diagenetic forces can degrade keratin, which is robust relative to other proteins due to extensive disulphide cross-linking by the amino acid, cysteine
Many non-avian dinosaur fossils have been found with preserved feathers, making the topic of feather evolution a popular and important area of research for understanding the origin of bird flight, visual communication, and endothermy
Summary
The moderately matured decayed white feather mostly preserved the rachis/calamus and had the highest level of ultrastructural degradation of any feather sample besides those that were highly matured. Different keratin types and integumentary structures appeared to show different degradation patterns as a result of moderate maturation.
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