Development and evolutionary origin of feathers - PubMed (original) (raw)
Review
. 1999 Dec 15;285(4):291-306.
Affiliations
- PMID: 10578107
Review
Development and evolutionary origin of feathers
R O Prum. J Exp Zool. 1999.
Abstract
Avian feathers are a complex evolutionary novelty characterized by structural diversity and hierarchical development. Here, I propose a functionally neutral model of the origin and evolutionary diversification of bird feathers based on the hierarchical details of feather development. I propose that feathers originated with the evolution of the first feather follicle-a cylindrical epidermal invagination around the base of a dermal papilla. A transition series of follicle and feather morphologies is hypothesized to have evolved through a series of stages of increasing complexity in follicle structure and follicular developmental mechanisms. Follicular evolution proceeded with the origin of the undifferentiated collar (stage I), barb ridges (stage II), helical displacement of barb ridges, barbule plates, and the new barb locus (stage III), differentiation of pennulae of distal and proximal barbules (stage IV), and diversification of barbule structure and the new barb locus position (stage V). The model predicts that the first feather was an undifferentiated cylinder (stage I), which was followed by a tuft of unbranched barbs (stage II). Subsequently, with the origin of the rachis and barbules, the bipinnate feather evolved (stage III), followed then by the pennaceous feather with a closed vane (stage IV) and other structural diversity (stages Va-f). The model is used to evaluate the developmental plausibility of proposed functional theories of the origin of feathers. Early feathers (stages I, II) could have functioned in communication, defense, thermal insulation, or water repellency. Feathers could not have had an aerodynamic function until after bipinnate, closed pennaceous feathers (stage IV) had evolved. The morphology of the integumental structures of the coelurisaurian theropod dinosaurs Sinosauropteryx and Beipiaosaurus are congruent with the model's predictions of the form of early feathers (stage I or II). Additional research is required to examine whether these fossil integumental structures developed from follicles and are homologous with avian feathers. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 285:291-306, 1999.
Copyright 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Similar articles
- Cytochemical and molecular characteristics of the process of cornification during feather morphogenesis.
Alibardi L, Toni M. Alibardi L, et al. Prog Histochem Cytochem. 2008;43(1):1-69. doi: 10.1016/j.proghi.2008.01.001. Epub 2008 Mar 14. Prog Histochem Cytochem. 2008. PMID: 18394491 Review. - Theory of the growth and evolution of feather shape.
Prum RO, Williamson S. Prum RO, et al. J Exp Zool. 2001 Apr 15;291(1):30-57. doi: 10.1002/jez.4. J Exp Zool. 2001. PMID: 11335915 - Avian skin development and the evolutionary origin of feathers.
Sawyer RH, Knapp LW. Sawyer RH, et al. J Exp Zool B Mol Dev Evol. 2003 Aug 15;298(1):57-72. doi: 10.1002/jez.b.26. J Exp Zool B Mol Dev Evol. 2003. PMID: 12949769 Review.
Cited by
- Modification of Keratin Integrations and the Associated Morphogenesis in Frizzling Chicken Feathers.
Wu H, Chuang TC, Liao WC, Chi KJ, Ng CS, Cheng HC, Juan WT. Wu H, et al. Biology (Basel). 2024 Jun 23;13(7):464. doi: 10.3390/biology13070464. Biology (Basel). 2024. PMID: 39056659 Free PMC article. - From emotional signals to symbols.
Griebel U, Oller DK. Griebel U, et al. Front Psychol. 2024 Apr 2;15:1135288. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1135288. eCollection 2024. Front Psychol. 2024. PMID: 38629043 Free PMC article. - Autofluorescence microscopy as a non-invasive probe to characterize the complex mechanical properties of keratin-based integumentary organs: A feather paradigm.
Chuang TC, Cheng JW, Chuong CM, Juan WT. Chuang TC, et al. Chin J Phys. 2023 Dec;86:561-571. doi: 10.1016/j.cjph.2023.10.017. Epub 2023 Oct 13. Chin J Phys. 2023. PMID: 38370512 - Origin of the propatagium in non-avian dinosaurs.
Uno Y, Hirasawa T. Uno Y, et al. Zoological Lett. 2023 Feb 23;9(1):4. doi: 10.1186/s40851-023-00204-x. Zoological Lett. 2023. PMID: 36823531 Free PMC article. - A computer vision framework for quantification of feather growth patterns.
Thompson TN, Vickrey A, Shapiro MD, Hsu E. Thompson TN, et al. Front Bioinform. 2023 Feb 3;3:1073918. doi: 10.3389/fbinf.2023.1073918. eCollection 2023. Front Bioinform. 2023. PMID: 36819479 Free PMC article.