The Evolution of Feathers: From Their Origin to the Present

Preface
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Morphology, Development, and Ecology of Feathers
	1.1 Introduction
	1.2 Main Morphological Organization
	1.3 Feather Types and Their Biological Role
		1.3.1 Down Feathers and Semiplumes
		1.3.2 Pennaceous Feathers
		1.3.3 Bristles Feathers, Filoplumes, and Powder Downs
	1.4 Feather Development
	1.5 Summary
	References
Chapter 2: Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Feather Development Provide a Basis for the Diverse Evolution of Feather Forms
	2.1 Diversification of Feather Morphology in Evolution
		2.1.1 The Structure of Extant Feathers
		2.1.2 Diverse Morphology of Feathers
		2.1.3 The Evolution and Development of Feathers
	2.2 Development of Feathers During Embryogenesis
		2.2.1 Tract Field Formation
		2.2.2 Feather Bud Induction
		2.2.3 Establishment of the A-P Axis and Elongation Along the P-D Axis
		2.2.4 Invagination of Feather Filaments and Morphogenesis of Feather Follicles
	2.3 Cyclic Regeneration in Adult Feather Follicles
	2.4 Branching Morphogenesis of Adult Feathers
	2.5 Molecular and Cellular Bases of Diverse Feather Form Formation
		2.5.1 Radial and Bilateral Symmetric Feathers
		2.5.2 Bilateral Asymmetric Feathers
	2.6 Other Parameters in Feather Complexity
	2.7 Conclusion
	References
Chapter 3: The Origin of Birds: Current Consensus, Controversy, and the Occurrence of Feathers
	3.1 Introduction
	3.2 Current Consensus on the Phylogeny of Theropod Dinosaurs and the Origin of Birds
	3.3 Remaining Controversies
	3.4 The Occurrence of Feathers in the Fossil Record of Theropod Dinosaurs
	3.5 Conclusions and Outlook
	References
Chapter 4: Integumentary Structures in Kulindadromeus zabaikalicus, a Basal Neornithischian Dinosaur from the Jurassic of Sibe...
	4.1 Introduction
	4.2 Geological Setting and Taphonomy of the Kulinda Locality
	4.3 Biodiversity of the Kulinda Dinosaur Fauna
	4.4 Diversity of Epidermal Structures in Kulindadromeus
	4.5 Discussion
	4.6 Conclusions
	References
Chapter 5: Filamentous Integuments in Nonavialan Theropods and Their Kin: Advances and Future Perspectives for Understanding t...
	5.1 Introduction
	5.2 Filamentous Integuments Among Nonavialan Dinosaurs
	5.3 Current Consensus on the Origin and Early Evolution of Feathers
	5.4 Remaining Controversial/Unresolved Issues in Feather Evolution
	References
Chapter 6: Two of a Feather: A Comparison of the Preserved Integument in the Juvenile Theropod Dinosaurs Sciurumimus and Jurav...
	6.1 Introduction
	6.2 General Comments on Soft Tissue Preservation in Plattenkalks of Painten and Schamhaupten
	6.3 Material and Methods
		6.3.1 Taxon Sampling
		6.3.2 Autofluorescence Methods
	6.4 Results
		6.4.1 The Integumentary Structures of Juravenator starki
		6.4.2 The Integumentary Structures of Sciurumimus albersdoerferi
	6.5 Discussion
		6.5.1 Identification of Tubercles in the Tail Region of Juravenator starki
		6.5.2 The Skin Morphology of Juravenator starki and Sciurumimus albersdoerferi
		6.5.3 The Feather Morphology of Juravenator starki and Sciurumimus albersdoerferi
		6.5.4 The Phylogenetic Position of Juravenator starki
		6.5.5 Insights into Early Feather Evolution in Theropods
	6.6 Conclusions
	References
Chapter 7: Feather Evolution in Pennaraptora
	7.1 Introduction
	7.2 Oviraptorosauria
	7.3 The Strange Case of Scansoriopterygidae
	7.4 Anchiornithidae
	7.5 Troodontidae
	7.6 Dromaeosauridae
	7.7 General Pattern of Feather Evolution in Pennaraptoran Theropods
	7.8 Conclusion
	References
Chapter 8: The Feathers of the Jurassic Urvogel Archaeopteryx
	8.1 Introduction
		8.1.1 Archaeopteryx as a Transitional Fossil
		8.1.2 Archaeopteryx and the Dinosaurian Ancestry of Birds
		8.1.3 The Flight Ability of Archaeopteryx and the Origin of Flight
	8.2 Preservation, Taphonomy, and Interpretation of the Feathers
		8.2.1 Preservational Environment and Burial
		8.2.2 Preservation of Feathers
		8.2.3 Organic Preservation
		8.2.4 Feather Nonpreservation
	8.3 Feather Morphology
		8.3.1 Feather Structure
		8.3.2 Ptilosis
		8.3.3 Body Contour Feathers
		8.3.4 Remiges and Coverts
		8.3.5 Hindlimb Feathers
		8.3.6 Rectrices
	8.4 Discussion
		8.4.1 Feather Evolution
		8.4.2 Feather Function and Behaviour
	References
Chapter 9: The Plumage of Basal Birds
	9.1 Introduction
	9.2 Descriptions
		9.2.1 Archaeopteryx
		9.2.2 Jeholornis and Kin (the Jeholornithiformes)
		9.2.3 Confuciusornis and Kin (Pygostylia: Confuciusornithiformes)
		9.2.4 Sapeornis and Kin (the Sapeornithiformes)
		9.2.5 The Diverse Enantiornithes (Aves: Ornithothoraces)
		9.2.6 Earliest Members of the Ornithuromorpha (Aves: Ornithothoraces)
	9.3 Discussion
	References
Chapter 10: A Morphological Review of the Enigmatic Elongated Tail Feathers of Stem Birds
	10.1 Introduction
	10.2 Institutional Abbreviations
	10.3 Previous Morphological Interpretations
	10.4 Morphological Comparison with Modern Feather Types
	10.5 Modern Feather Types with a Distally Branching Portion
	10.6 Modern Feather Types with Broadened Rhachis
	10.7 Rhachis Pigmentation in Modern Feathers
	10.8 Discussion
	10.9 Conclusions
	References
Chapter 11: Palaeocolour: A History and State of the Art
	11.1 Overturning the Paradigm: From Bacteria to Coloured Dinosaurs
	11.2 Mechanism of Melanin Preservation
		11.2.1 Maturation Experiments
		11.2.2 Melanin and Sulphurisation
	11.3 Preservation of Non-melanin Feather Components
	11.4 Bringing the Past to Life: Palaeocolour Reconstructions of Extinct Dinosaurs
	11.5 Limitations
	11.6 Conclusions
	References
Chapter 12: On the Ancestry of Feathers in Mesozoic Dinosaurs
	12.1 Introduction
	12.2 Review of Fossil Archosaur Skin
	12.3 Quantitative Framework
	12.4 Results
		12.4.1 Model Fitting
		12.4.2 Ancestral State Reconstructions
	12.5 Discussion
		12.5.1 Feather Evolution
		12.5.2 Ancestral Dinosaur Integument
		12.5.3 Taphonomic Considerations
	12.6 Conclusions
	Appendix
	References