94 posts · 115,862 views

this blog covers evolution, ecology, animal behavior, genetics, ornithology, parrots and birds in general along with stories about other animals, mental illness, atheism and politics.

GrrlScientist
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July 16, 2010
08:59 AM
777 views

Parrots, People and Pedagogies: A Look at Teaching and Education

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

Like anyone who has taught science courses, and probably like anyone who has ever taught anything to a classroom in the history of mankind, I've wondered how to motivate my students to really care about the material they are learning, beyond simply "studying for the test." For example, I have used a group method of study where groups of 4 students are each assigned a specific task: to become an expert in a particular area and to share their knowledge with the other groups. This method is only partially successful since it is dependent upon good classroom rapport and careful management by the professor, otherwise, each group of "experts" can selectively withhold or misrepresent information that is important for developing a better understanding of the topic at hand. ... Read more »

McCallum, M. (2010) A Method for Encouraging Classroom Discussion of Scientific Papers. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 91(3), 363-366. DOI: 10.1890/0012-9623-91.3.363

July 1, 2010
02:32 PM
1,209 views

Are Zombie Vultures In Our Future?

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

A zombie is another name for The Walking Dead -- those who are lifeless, apathetic, or totally lacking in independent judgment. But in an ecological sense, a zombie species no longer fulfills its ecological function because it is becoming extinct... Read more »

Shultz, S., Baral, H., Charman, S., Cunningham, A., Das, D., Ghalsasi, G., Goudar, M., Green, R., Jones, A., Nighot, P.... (2004) Diclofenac poisoning is widespread in declining vulture populations across the Indian subcontinent. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 271(Suppl_6). DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2004.0223

Lemus, J., & Blanco, G. (2009) Cellular and humoral immunodepression in vultures feeding upon medicated livestock carrion. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 276(1665), 2307-2313. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.0071

Naidoo, V., Wolter, K., Cromarty, D., Diekmann, M., Duncan, N., Meharg, A., Taggart, M., Venter, L., & Cuthbert, R. (2009) Toxicity of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to Gyps vultures: a new threat from ketoprofen. Biology Letters, 6(3), 339-341. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2009.0818

Jackson, A., Ruxton, G., & Houston, D. (2008) The effect of social facilitation on foraging success in vultures: a modelling study. Biology Letters, 4(3), 311-313. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2008.0038

Swan, G., Cuthbert, R., Quevedo, M., Green, R., Pain, D., Bartels, P., Cunningham, A., Duncan, N., Meharg, A., Lindsay Oaks, J.... (2006) Toxicity of diclofenac to Gyps vultures. Biology Letters, 2(2), 279-282. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2005.0425

Cuthbert, R., Parry-Jones, J., Green, R., & Pain, D. (2007) NSAIDs and scavenging birds: potential impacts beyond Asia's critically endangered vultures. Biology Letters, 3(1), 90-93. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2006.0554

June 30, 2010
11:15 AM
748 views

Distressed Ravens Show That Consolation Is For The Birds, Too

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

Humans have long tried to separate themselves from other animals on the basis of characters that are perceived to be unique to us, such as tool design and use, planning for the future and our capacity for empathy.... Read more »

Fraser, O., & Bugnyar, T. (2010) Do Ravens Show Consolation? Responses to Distressed Others. PLoS ONE, 5(5). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0010605

June 9, 2010
05:59 PM
890 views

Gulf Oil Spill Disaster: Spawn of the Living Dead for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna?

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

A recently published study suggests that the Deepwater Horizon oil leak may devastate the endangered Atlantic bluefin population, causing it to completely collapse or possibly go extinct.... Read more »

Steven L. H. Teo, & Barbara A. Block. (2010) Comparative Influence of Ocean Conditions on Yellowfin and Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Catch from Longlines in the Gulf of Mexico. PLoS ONE, 5(5). info:/10.1371/journal.pone.0010756

June 5, 2010
08:41 AM
779 views

Oiled SeaBirds: To Kill Or Not To Kill?

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: ecology, marine biology, conservation biology, endangered species, environmental toxicology, seabirds, marine mammals, bpr3.org/?p=52,peer-reviewed research, journal club

Bird rescue personnel Danene Birtell (L) and Heather Nevill (R) hold an oiled brown pelican, found on Storm Island in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana, that will be washed at the treatment facility at Fort Jackson, Louisiana, USA. BP has contracted bird rescue groups to rehabilitate wildlife affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The birds are examined, thoroughly washed and then allowed to recover.

Image: Paul Buck/EPA.

British Petroleum's current disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is unfortunately one of many oil spill events that occur every year due to rampant corporate greed and systemic corner-cutting. These events result in the slow agonized deaths of millions of animals, birds and fish in addition to damage and destruction to entire ecosystems. After dead and dying animals start washing up on public beaches, the public becomes alarmed and rushes to their aid, setting up rescue stations to clean and rehabilitate oiled birds and marine mammals. At least a few experts have openly advocated killing all oiled wildlife immediately, claiming that animal lovers are merely prolonging their distress and suffering. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...... Read more »

TSENG, F. (1999) Considerations in care for birds affected by oil spills. Seminars in Avian and Exotic Pet Medicine, 8(1), 21-31. DOI: 10.1016/S1055-937X(99)80032-2

David A. Jessup, & Jonna A. K. Mazet. (1999) Rehabilitation of Oiled Wildlife: Why Do It?. 1999 International Oil Spill Conference. info:/

Stowe, T. (1982) An oil spillage at a Guillemot colony. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 13(7), 237-239. DOI: 10.1016/0025-326X(82)90346-0

April 20, 2010
01:11 PM
1,306 views

(How) Are Birds Affected by Volcanic Ash?

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: Eyjafjallajökull, volcanic particulate material, ash clouds, airborne-particle deposition, respiratory physiology, respiratory toxicology, medicine, veterinary medicine, birds, avian health, bioassay, anatomy, bpr3.org/?p=52,peer-reviewed research, journal club

Figure 1: The eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, photographed by an unidentified farmer in Iceland. This eruption sent massive billowing clouds of volcanic ash several miles into the atmosphere.

Image: Newscom/Zuma [larger view]

April is the peak month of spring migration for millions of birds, so the ongoing eruption of the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, presents hundreds of millions of birds with an unusually challenging set of circumstances as they fly to their northerly breeding grounds. But when a reader asked me how volcanic ash affects birds, I had no ready answer. The best I can do is to say that the ash is affecting birds, but I cannot say precisely how -- so I decided to investigate this issue in more depth and share the studies I found. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...... Read more »

Brown, R., Brain, J., & Wang, N. (1997) The Avian Respiratory System: A Unique Model for Studies of Respiratory Toxicosis and for Monitoring Air Quality. Environmental Health Perspectives, 105(2), 188. DOI: 10.2307/3433242

Llacuna S, Gorriz A, Riera M, & Nadal J. (1996) Effects of air pollution on hematological parameters in passerine birds. Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology, 31(1), 148-52. PMID: 8688002

McArn GE, Boardman ML, Munn R, & Wellings SR. (1974) Relationship of pulmonary particulates in English sparrows to gross air pollution. Journal of wildlife diseases, 10(4), 335-40. PMID: 4373586

Clark, L. (1998) Contribution of particulates and pH on cowbirds' (Molothrus ater) avoidance of grain treated with agricultural lime. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 57(1-2), 133-144. DOI: 10.1016/S0168-1591(97)00121-4

April 19, 2010
10:00 AM
887 views

Is That A T. rex Up Your Nose? New Species of Nose-dwelling Leech Discovered

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: evolutionary biology, evolutionary biogeography, molecular biology, medicine, ectoparasite, orificial hirudiniasis, mucosal leech infestation, hirudinoids, leech, Tyrannobdella rex, public health, zoology, PLoS ONE, anatomy, phylogenetic analysis, taxonomy, bpr3.org/?p=52,peer-reviewed research, journal club

Figure 1. Mucosally invasive hirudinoid leeches. Known from a wide variety of anatomical sites including eyes (A) as in this case involving Dinobdella ferox (B), mucosal leech species, as in a case involving Myxobdella annandalei (C), more frequently feed from the nasopharyngeal surfaces of mammals (D). [larger (and more repulsive) picture.]
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0010057.

Most people are repulsed by leeches -- those spineless blood sucking animals that are not only ugly, but can, in extreme cases, pose a threat to the host's life. But most people are blissfully unaware that some species of leeches specialize in attacking mammalian mucous membranes -- those hairless, smooth and moist tissues that line the mouth, intestines, eyes and urinary and reproductive tracts (Figure 1).
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Phillips, A., Arauco-Brown, R., Oceguera-Figueroa, A., Gomez, G., Beltrán, M., Lai, Y., & Siddall, M. (2010) Tyrannobdella rex N. Gen. N. Sp. and the Evolutionary Origins of Mucosal Leech Infestations. PLoS ONE, 5(4). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0010057

April 8, 2010
12:26 PM
1,077 views

What do Great Tits Reveal about the Genetics of Personality?

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: evolutionary biology, behavioral ecology, molecular ecology, personality, novelty seeking, exploratory behavior, dopamine receptor, dopamine receptor D4 gene, DRD4 gene polymorphism, ornithology, birds, Great Tit, Parus major, bpr3.org/?p=52,peer-reviewed research, peer-reviewed paper

Bold or cautious? Individuals with a particular gene variant are very curious --
but only in some populations.

Image: Henk Dikkers.

Research shows that personality variations are heritable in humans and other animal species, and there are many hypotheses as to why differences in personality exist and are maintained. One approach for investigating the heritability of personality lies in identifying which genes underlie specific personality traits so scientists can then determine how the frequencies of specific variants of personality-related genes change in both space and time as well as in relation to changing environmental influences. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...... Read more »

KORSTEN, P., MUELLER, J., HERMANNSTÄDTER, C., BOUWMAN, K., DINGEMANSE, N., DRENT, P., LIEDVOGEL, M., MATTHYSEN, E., van OERS, K., van OVERVELD, T.... (2010) Association between DRD4 gene polymorphism and personality variation in great tits: a test across four wild populations. Molecular Ecology, 19(4), 832-843. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2009.04518.x

April 1, 2010
09:59 AM
996 views

Publish or Perish: A Brief Review of Unsuccessful Attempts to Treat Writer's Block

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: writer's block, psychology, abnormal psychology, cognitive psychology, writing, publishing, career, publish or perish, bpr3.org/?p=52,peer-reviewed research, peer-reviewed paper, journal club

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Didden, R., Sigafoos, J., O'Reilly, M., Lancioni, G., & Sturmey, P. (2007) A Multisite Cross-Cultural Replication of Upper's (1974) Unsuccessful Self-Treatment of Writer's Block. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40(4), 773-773. DOI: 10.1901/jaba.2007.773

Upper, D. (1974) The unsuccessful self-treatment of a case of “writer's block”. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 7(3), 497-497. DOI: 10.1901/jaba.1974.7-497a

March 30, 2010
02:51 PM
1,106 views

UV, You See? Black Light Reveals Secrets in Fossils

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: evolution, evolutionary biology, UV light, flight, dinosaur, dromaeosaur, theropods, Microraptor gui, paleontology, fossils, birds, bpr3.org/?p=52,peer-reviewed research, peer-reviewed paper, journal club

Figure 1. The holotype of Microraptor gui, IVPP V 13352 under normal light. This shows the preserved feathers (white arrow) and the 'halo' around the specimen where they appear to be absent (black arrows). Scale bar at 5 cm. [larger view]
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009223

It has long been known that when exposed to ultraviolent light, fossilized bones and shells -- and even tissues -- will fluoresce, thus rendering undetectable details visible. But inexplicably, this technique has been used mostly to visualize fossilized invertebrates, and has rarely been used to investigate hidden structures in most vertebrate fossils. But a team of paleontologists recently studied the Microraptor gui holotype using UV light.
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Hone, D., Tischlinger, H., Xu, X., & Zhang, F. (2010) The Extent of the Preserved Feathers on the Four-Winged Dinosaur Microraptor gui under Ultraviolet Light. PLoS ONE, 5(2). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0009223

March 29, 2010
09:47 AM
890 views

Made for Each Other: Evolution of Monogamy in Poison Frogs

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: evolution, evolutionary biology, behavioral ecology, animal behavior, molecular ecology, parental care, mating systems, monogamy, sexual selection, frogs, poison dart frogs, Dendrobatidae, Ranitomeya, bpr3.org/?p=52,peer-reviewed research, peer-reviewed paper, journal club

Peruvian mimic poison frog, Ranitomeya imitator.

Image: Jason Brown [larger view]

To know the breeding system is to know the genetic architecture of a species.
To know the evolution of a breeding system is to know how evolution works ..

~ Lewis & Crowe, Evolution (1955)

Genetic tests have revealed the secret sex life of a tiny poison dart frog species that lives in the Peruvian rain forests: remarkably, it turns out that these frogs are monogamous. But the reason this species is monogamous is surprising: it's all about the size of the pools that their tadpoles mature in. This is the best evidence yet that just a single cause can affect evolution of a major life history trait, such as a species' mating system.
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Brown JL, Morales V, & Summers K. (2010) A key ecological trait drove the evolution of biparental care and monogamy in an amphibian. The American Naturalist, 175(4), 436-46. PMID: 20180700

March 12, 2010
12:59 PM
1,140 views

Gender-Bending Chickens: Mixed, Not Scrambled

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: evolution, evolutionary biology, gynandromorph, bilateral gynandromorph bird, half-sider, mixed-sex chimaera, sex determination, molecular biology, genetics, developmental biology, endocrinology, birds, chicken, Gallus gallus, ornithology, bpr3.org/?p=52,peer-reviewed research, peer-reviewed paper, journal club

Half-sider.

Almost exactly one year ago, hundreds of American birders
were thrilled by sightings and photographs of this remarkable
Northern Cardinal, or Redbird, Cardinalis cardinalis,
photographed in Warrenton, VA.
Image: DW Maiden, 2 March 2009.

I'll never forget the first time I saw a bilateral gynandromorph. I was a bird-crazy teenager reading my way through a stack of avicultural publications when I spied the strangest bird I'd ever seen on the cover of one magazine: an eclectus parrot that was very precisely divided down the middle: one side was rich scarlet and the other was brilliant emerald. Because eclectus parrots are sexually dimorphic -- females are red and males are green -- this remarkable bird was easily identifiable as being composed of both sexes, one on each side.

Even though this was the first time I'd ever seen a gynandromorph, these mysterious birds do pop up from time to time. For example, bird watchers occasionally run across them in the wild (see above photograph) and poultry farmers sometimes find them in their flocks: it is estimated that roughly one in 10,000 domestic chickens -- another sexually dimorphic species -- is a gynandromorph.
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Zhao, D., McBride, D., Nandi, S., McQueen, H., McGrew, M., Hocking, P., Lewis, P., Sang, H., & Clinton, M. (2010) Somatic sex identity is cell autonomous in the chicken. Nature, 464(7286), 237-242. DOI: 10.1038/nature08852

March 10, 2010
03:50 PM
1,171 views

Ancient DNA Isolated from Fossil Eggshells May Provide Clues to Eggstinction of Giant Birds

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: evolution, evolutionary biology, ancient DNA, aDNA, molecular biology, molecular ecology, archaeology, paleontology, fossil eggshell, extinct birds, giant moa, Dinornis robustus, elephant birds, Aepyornis maximus, Mullerornis, Thunderbirds, Genyornis, bpr3.org/?p=52,peer-reviewed research, peer-reviewed paper, journal club

Elephant bird, Aepyornis maximus, egg
compared to a human hand with a hummingbird egg balanced on a fingertip.

To conduct my avian research, I've isolated and sequenced DNA from a variety of specimens, such as blood, muscle, skin and a variety of internal organs, dry toepads from long-dead birds in museum collections, feathers, the delicate membranes that line the inside of eggs, and even occasionally from bone. But I was surprised to learn that avian DNA can also be extracted directly from fossilized eggshells -- eggshells that completely lack eggshell membranes.
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Charlotte L. Oskam, James Haile, Emma McLay, Paul Rigby, Morten E. Allentoft, Maia E. Olsen, Camilla Bengtsson, Gifford H. Miller, Jean-Luc Schwenninger, Chris Jacomb, Richard Walter, Alexander Baynes, Joe Dortch, Michael Parker-Pearson, M. Thomas P. Gilb. (2010) Fossil avian eggshell preserves ancient DNA. Proc. R. Soc. B. info:/10.1098/rspb.2009.2019

February 12, 2010
02:30 PM
1,137 views

Faith-Based Birding 201: Fraudulent Photos and Federal Funding

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: faith-based birding, mass hysteria, endangered species, extinct species, conservation, politics, Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Campephilus principalis, IBWO, ornithology, birds, bpr3.org/?p=52,peer-reviewed research, peer-reviewed paper

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has posted a reward of $50,000
to be given to anyone who can provide "video, photographic, or
other compelling information and lead a project scientist to a
living wild Ivory-billed Woodpecker."

Mass hysteria is that strange psychological phenomenon where a group of people experience the same hallucination at the same time. Such hallucinations include observing statues or paintings of the Virgin Mary either bleeding or crying at certain times of the year. But mass hysteria is not limited to religious fanatics. During the past five years, there has been a marked increase in what I refer to as "faith-based birding," where groups of people believe they've seen the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Campephilus principalis, a large bird that has been extinct in the US for more than 50 years.
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Dalton, R. (2010) Still looking for that woodpecker. Nature, 463(7282), 718-719. DOI: 10.1038/463718a

February 8, 2010
03:10 PM
1,248 views

Racehorse Research Identifies Speed Gene

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: evolutionary biology, molecular biology, Thoroughbred race horses, horses, aerobic capacity, muscle development, myostatin, MSTN, myostatin-suppressing C variant, myostatin-suppressing T variant, Horse Genome Project, Equinome, bpr3.org/?p=52,peer-reviewed research, peer-reviewed paper

Emerging from the mist is Rachel Alexandra, a champion American Thoroughbred who excels at winning both long and short distance races.

Image: Rob Carr, 2009, Associated Press [larger view]

If you've worked at or been around a racetrack very much, as I have, you'll quickly realize that everyone there has their own pet idea for picking winners. Horse breeders have always relied on pedigree analysis and studying the horse's conformation to predict whether a particular racehorse is better suited for running short or longer distances. But this is an inexact science that can waste valuable time, money and sometimes, horses. Which makes one wonder whether modern molecular biology can be applied to the challenge of identifying specific genes that make a particular horse better suited to running sprints or distances?
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Hill, E., Gu, J., Eivers, S., Fonseca, R., McGivney, B., Govindarajan, P., Orr, N., Katz, L., & MacHugh, D. (2010) A Sequence Polymorphism in MSTN Predicts Sprinting Ability and Racing Stamina in Thoroughbred Horses. PLoS ONE, 5(1). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008645

February 5, 2010
10:10 AM
1,144 views

Fossil Feather Colors Really ARE Written In Stone

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: evolutionary biology, paleontology, taphonomy, plumage color, feathers, color, melanin, eumelanin, phaeomelanin, dinosaurs, theropod, paravian, avialae, fossils, Anchiornis huxleyi, ornithology, birds, bpr3.org/?p=52,peer-reviewed research, peer-reviewed paper

New research reveals that recently-described 155-million-year-old Anchiornis huxleyi,
a woodpecker-like dinosaur the size of a modern-day domesticated chicken,
had black-and-white spangled wings and a rusty red crown.

Image: Michael DiGiorgio, Yale University [larger view]

Fig. 4. Reconstruction of the plumage color of the Jurassic troodontid Anchiornis huxleyi. The tail is unknown specimen BMNHC PH828, and reconstructed based on the complete specimen previously described. Color plate by Michael A. Digiorgio.

Ever since dinosaurs were discovered, scientists, artists and children everywhere have speculated about what they really looked like. Fossilized bones, skin impressions and recently, feathers, provide a basic mental image of these animals' appearances, but these materials also leave important questions unanswered, basic questions such as what color were dinosaurs?
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Li, Q., Gao, K., Vinther, J., Shawkey, M., Clarke, J., D'Alba, L., Meng, Q., Briggs, D., Miao, L., & Prum, R. (2010) Plumage Color Patterns of an Extinct Dinosaur. Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.1186290

Vinther, J., Briggs, D., Clarke, J., Mayr, G., & Prum, R. (2009) Structural coloration in a fossil feather. Biology Letters, 6(1), 128-131. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2009.0524

February 1, 2010
01:19 PM
1,228 views

Fetid Fish Revise Understanding of Fossil Formation

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: evolutionary biology, paleontology, fossils, fossilization, fossil forensics, Taphonomy, taxonomy, zoology, deep time, paleoceanography, amphioxus, Branchiostoma lanceolatum, lamprey, Lampetra fluviatilis, chordates, bpr3.org/?p=52,peer-reviewed research, peer-reviewed paper

Three rotting Amphioxus heads.
A sequence of images showing how the characteristic features of the body of amphioxus, a close living relative of vertebrates, change during decay. Colours are caused by interference between the experimental equipment and the light illuminating the specimens.

Image: Mark Purnell, Rob Sansom, Sarah Gabbott, University of Leicester.
[larger view]
DOI: 10.1038/nature08745

How do you know what something looks like when you've never seen it before? This is the question that paleontologists deal with every day: describing the appearance of ancient animals based on incomplete information gathered from small fossilized fragments of those animals. As if that is not difficult enough, they also use this incomplete information about physical appearances to build family trees that describe the evolution of these animals.
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Sansom, R., Gabbott, S., & Purnell, M. (2010) Non-random decay of chordate characters causes bias in fossil interpretation. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/nature08745

Donoghue, P., & Purnell, M. (2009) Distinguishing heat from light in debate over controversial fossils. BioEssays, 31(2), 178-189. DOI: 10.1002/bies.200800128

January 30, 2010
02:45 PM
1,257 views

Newly Described Bird-like Dinosaur Predates Archaeopteryx by 63 Million Years

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: evolutionary biology, convergent evolution, paleontology, taxonomy, zoology, basal birds, theropods, dinosaurs, ornithology, birds, Alvarezsauroidea, Haplocheirus sollers, Maniraptora, Archaeopteryx, bpr3.org/?p=52,peer-reviewed research, peer-reviewed paper

A Newly Discovered Basal Alvarezsauroid Theropod from the Early Late Jurassic.

Artwork: Portia Sloan [larger view]
DOI: 10.1126/science.1182143

A long-standing scientific debate focuses on the origins of birds: did they evolve from reptiles or dinosaurs? Currently, most scientists think that birds are modern dinosaurs, but because small hollow bones like those of birds and small dinosaurs don't fossilize well, the early fossil record for birds is sparse. However, a new dinosaur species unearthed in China's Gobi Desert strengthens the dinosaur-bird hypothesis and may also provide valuable clues as to how flight evolved.
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Choiniere, J., Xu, X., Clark, J., Forster, C., Guo, Y., & Han, F. (2010) A Basal Alvarezsauroid Theropod from the Early Late Jurassic of Xinjiang, China. Science, 327(5965), 571-574. DOI: 10.1126/science.1182143

January 28, 2010
02:39 PM
1,166 views

Orange Stripey Dinosaurs? Fossil Feathers Reveal Their Secret Colors

by GrrlScientist in Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: evolutionary biology, fossils, feathers, plumage color, color, dinosaurs, theropods, Sinosauropteryx, Sinornithosaurus, birds, Confuciusornis, melanosomes, phaeomelanosomes, eumelanosomes, keratinocytes, SEM, scanning electron microscopy, 10.1038/nature08740, bpr3.org/?p=52, peer-reviewed research, peer-reviewed paper

Reconstruction of two Sinosauropteryx, sporting their orange and white striped tails.

Artwork by Chuang Zhao and Lida Xing [larger view]
DOI: 10.1038/nature08740

While looking at museum dioramas that feature dinosaurs, I often overhear people asking "How do they know what color dinosaurs were?" The truth is that artists and scientists they didn't know -- until now. A new paper was just published in Nature that carefully examines fossilized plumage and comes to an interesting conclusion: scientists can identify at least some of the original colors in ancient feathers.
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Zhang, F., Kearns, S., Orr, P., Benton, M., Zhou, Z., Johnson, D., Xu, X., & Wang, X. (2010) Fossilized melanosomes and the colour of Cretaceous dinosaurs and birds. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/nature08740

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