'Modern' feathers on a non-avian dinosaur (original) (raw)

Palaeontology

Nature volume 416, pages 36–37 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Discoveries of integumentary coverings on non-avian theropod dinosaurs are becoming commonplace1,2,3. But the only definitive evidence so far that any of these animals had feathers as we know them today has come from the oviraptorosaur Caudipteryx2,4,5 and the enigmatic coleurosaur Protarchaeopteryx2, both of which are considered by some to be secondarily flightless birds6,7. Here we describe the occurrence of pinnate feathers, which clearly feature a rachis and barbs, on a small, non-avian dromaeosaur from northern China. This finding indicates that feathers of modern aspect evolved in dinosaurs before the emergence of birds and flight.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.90 per issue

Buy this article

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Additional access options:

Figure 1: Evidence of modern-type feathers on the small dromaeosaur skeleton BPM 1 3-13.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chen, P.-J., Dong, Z.-M. & Zhen, S.-N. Nature 391, 147–152 (1998).
    Article CAS ADS Google Scholar
  2. Ji, Q., Currie, P. J., Ji, S. & Norell, M. A. Nature 393, 753–761 (1998).
    Article ADS Google Scholar
  3. Xu, X., Zhou, Z.-H. & Prum, R. O. Nature 410, 200–204 (2001).
    Article CAS ADS Google Scholar
  4. Sereno, P. Science 284, 2137–2147 (1999).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  5. Norell, M. A., Clark, J. M. & Makovicky, P. J. in New Perspectives on the Origin and Early Evolution of Birds (eds Gauthier, J. A. & Gall, L. G.) 49–67 (Proc. Int. Symp. Hon. John H. Ostrom, Yale Peabody Mus., New Haven, Connecticut, 2001).
  6. Jones, T. D., Farlow, J. O., Ruben, J. A., Henderson, D. M. & Hillenius, W. J. Nature 406, 716–718 (2000).
    Article CAS ADS Google Scholar
  7. Feduccia, A. The Origin and Evolution of Birds 2 edn (Yale Univ. Press, New Haven, Connecticut, 1999).
  8. Jin, F. Vert. Palas. 34, 102–122 (1996).
    Google Scholar
  9. Ostrom, J. H. in The Dinosauria (eds Weishampel, D. B., Dodson, P. & Osmólska, H.) 269–279 (Univ. California Press, Berkeley, 1990).
  10. Norell, M. A. & Makovicky, P. J. Am. Mus. Novitates 3215, 1–28 (1997).
    Google Scholar
  11. Ji, Q., Norell, M. A., Gao, K.-Q., Ji, S.-A. & Ren, D. Nature 410, 1084–1088 (2001).
    Article CAS ADS Google Scholar
  12. Xu, X., Zhou, Z.-H. & Wang, X.-L. Nature 408, 705–708 (2000).
    Article CAS ADS Google Scholar
  13. Prum, R. O. J. Exp. Zool. 285, 291–306 (1999).
    Article CAS Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, 10024-5192, New York, USA
    Mark Norell & Keqin Gao
  2. Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, 26 Baiwanzhuang, Beijing, 100037, China
    Qiang Ji & Chongxi Yuan
  3. Liaoning Provincial Bureau of Land and Resources, 29 Beiling Street, Shenyang, 110032, China
    Yibin Zhao & Lixia Wang

Authors

  1. Mark Norell
  2. Qiang Ji
  3. Keqin Gao
  4. Chongxi Yuan
  5. Yibin Zhao
  6. Lixia Wang

Corresponding author

Correspondence toMark Norell.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Norell, M., Ji, Q., Gao, K. et al. 'Modern' feathers on a non-avian dinosaur.Nature 416, 36–37 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/416036a

Download citation

This article is cited by