Iridescent, Feathered Dinosaur Offers Fresh Evidence That Feathers Evolved to Attract Mates

[n2doc]

ScienceDaily (Mar. 8, 2012) — A team of American and Chinese researchers has revealed the detailed feather pattern and color of Microraptor, a pigeon-sized, four-winged dinosaur that lived about 120 million years ago. A new specimen shows the dinosaur had a glossy iridescent sheen and that its tail was narrow and adorned with a pair of streamer feathers, suggesting the importance of display in the early evolution of feathers, as presented in the March 9 edition of the journal Science.

The research was conducted by scientists at the Beijing Museum of Natural History, Peking University, The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Akron, and the American Museum of Natural History.

By comparing the patterns of pigment-containing organelles from a Microraptor fossil with those in modern birds, the scientists determined the dinosaur's plumage was iridescent with a glossy sheen like the feathers of a crow. The new fossil is the earliest record of iridescent color in feathers.

A new reconstruction of the dinosaur will help scientists approach the controversy of how dinosaurs began the transition to flight.

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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120308143159.htm

[Warpy]

1. They are making all those giant lizard movies obsolete

I always wondered about making them Army surplus green and scaly, it didn't seem to fit with what their remote descendents look like. Primitive plumage always seemed more likely to me. Things that big didn't rely on camouflage. They would more likely want to be seen by others of their species and even by critters who competed for food that they wanted out of the way.

[Yo_Mama]

2. This was bird size

Unlike their larger cousins, these little guys might have wanted to be inconspicuous.

[denbot]

3. Off topic, but I wonder why a 4 winged configuration has not re-evolved in birds?

Birds like doves need rapid climb flight behavior to survive ambush predators, four wings could be useful.

[laconicsax]

4. There's a simple evolutionary answer.

The value of having four lift-generating wings must not have outweighed the added cost in resources required to make it happen.

Also, the intermediate stages would undoubtedly involve the addition of drag-inducing feathers, which could easily limit the ability to escape quickly.