1. New specimen of Eoconfuciusornis (STM 7-144) collected from the Early Cretaceous lake deposits in Hebei, northern China, and SEM images of associated feather material, compared with SEM images of a black feather from the extant chicken G. gallus.
New specimen of Eoconfuciusornis (STM 7-144) collected from the Early Cretaceous lake deposits in Hebei, northern China, and SEM images of associated feather material, compared with SEM images of a black feather from the extant chicken G. gallus. (A) Photograph of the new fossil specimen, indicating sample locations (boxes; not to scale). (B–E) SEM images of a black feather from G. gallus. (B) Low-magnification image. (C–E) High-magnification images of the boxed areas in B. (F–J) SEM images of the feather samples 111 (crural feathers) and 202 (interpreted as the tertials of the left wing) from Eoconfuciusornis. (F) Low-magnification image. (G) High-magnification image of the boxed area in F. (H) Melanosomes are shown located immediately below the structured thin layer, which is indicated with yellow arrowheads. (I and J) High-magnification images of the boxed areas in H. These bodies are embedded within the feathers and not observed on the surface of the feathers. (Scales are as indicated.)‏
Yanhong Pan et al. PNAS 2016;113:49:E7900-E7907
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