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Primitive wing feather arrangement in Archaeopteryx lithographica and Anchiornis huxleyi.
Curr Biol. 2012 Dec 04; 22(23):2262-7.CB

Abstract

In modern birds (Neornithes), the wing is composed of a layer of long, asymmetrical flight feathers overlain by short covert feathers. It has generally been assumed that wing feathers in the Jurassic bird Archaeopteryx and Cretaceous feathered dinosaurs had the same arrangement. Here, we redescribe the wings of the archaic bird Archaeopteryx lithographica and the dinosaur Anchiornis huxleyi and show that their wings differ from those of Neornithes in being composed of multiple layers of feathers. In Archaeopteryx, primaries are overlapped by long dorsal and ventral coverts. Anchiornis has a similar configuration but is more primitive in having short, slender, symmetrical remiges. Archaeopteryx and Anchiornis therefore appear to represent early experiments in the evolution of the wing. This primitive configuration has important functional implications: although the slender feather shafts of Archaeopteryx and Anchiornis make individual feathers weak, layering of the wing feathers may have produced a strong airfoil. Furthermore, the layered arrangement may have prevented the feathers from forming a slotted tip or separating to reduce drag on the upstroke. The wings of early birds therefore may have lacked the range of functions seen in Neornithes, limiting their flight ability.

Links

Publisher Full Text
linkinghub.elsevier.com
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Authors+Show Affiliations

Longrich NR
Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale University, PO Box 208109, New Haven, CT 06520-8109, USA. nicholas.longrich@yale.edu
Vinther J
No affiliation info available
Meng Q
No affiliation info available
Li Q
No affiliation info available
Russell AP
No affiliation info available

MeSH

AnimalsBiological EvolutionBirdsDinosaursFeathersFossilsWings, Animal

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

23177480

Citation

Longrich, Nicholas R., et al. "Primitive Wing Feather Arrangement in Archaeopteryx Lithographica and Anchiornis Huxleyi." Current Biology : CB, vol. 22, no. 23, 2012, pp. 2262-7.
Longrich NR, Vinther J, Meng Q, et al. Primitive wing feather arrangement in Archaeopteryx lithographica and Anchiornis huxleyi. Curr Biol. 2012;22(23):2262-7.
Longrich, N. R., Vinther, J., Meng, Q., Li, Q., & Russell, A. P. (2012). Primitive wing feather arrangement in Archaeopteryx lithographica and Anchiornis huxleyi. Current Biology : CB, 22(23), 2262-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2012.09.052
Longrich NR, et al. Primitive Wing Feather Arrangement in Archaeopteryx Lithographica and Anchiornis Huxleyi. Curr Biol. 2012 Dec 4;22(23):2262-7. PubMed PMID: 23177480.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Primitive wing feather arrangement in Archaeopteryx lithographica and Anchiornis huxleyi. AU - Longrich,Nicholas R, AU - Vinther,Jakob, AU - Meng,Qingjin, AU - Li,Quangguo, AU - Russell,Anthony P, Y1 - 2012/11/21/ PY - 2012/08/18/received PY - 2012/09/21/revised PY - 2012/09/24/accepted PY - 2012/11/27/entrez PY - 2012/11/28/pubmed PY - 2013/6/12/medline SP - 2262 EP - 7 JF - Current biology : CB JO - Curr Biol VL - 22 IS - 23 N2 - In modern birds (Neornithes), the wing is composed of a layer of long, asymmetrical flight feathers overlain by short covert feathers. It has generally been assumed that wing feathers in the Jurassic bird Archaeopteryx and Cretaceous feathered dinosaurs had the same arrangement. Here, we redescribe the wings of the archaic bird Archaeopteryx lithographica and the dinosaur Anchiornis huxleyi and show that their wings differ from those of Neornithes in being composed of multiple layers of feathers. In Archaeopteryx, primaries are overlapped by long dorsal and ventral coverts. Anchiornis has a similar configuration but is more primitive in having short, slender, symmetrical remiges. Archaeopteryx and Anchiornis therefore appear to represent early experiments in the evolution of the wing. This primitive configuration has important functional implications: although the slender feather shafts of Archaeopteryx and Anchiornis make individual feathers weak, layering of the wing feathers may have produced a strong airfoil. Furthermore, the layered arrangement may have prevented the feathers from forming a slotted tip or separating to reduce drag on the upstroke. The wings of early birds therefore may have lacked the range of functions seen in Neornithes, limiting their flight ability. SN - 1879-0445 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/23177480/Primitive_wing_feather_arrangement_in_Archaeopteryx_lithographica_and_Anchiornis_huxleyi_ L2 - https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0960-9822(12)01194-3 DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -