Abstract
Among the spectacular dinosaur fossils reported from the Jehol Group of northeastern China is the most celebrated, Sinosauropteryx, which continues to excite interest in questions concerning feather origins—most recently with alleged identifications of melanosomes and colour in its integumental structures, which proved unfounded. The crucial significance of Sinosauropteryx is undoubtedly the focus on its basal theropod status and potentially pivotal position in informing models of the early evolutionary origin of modern feathers. On the basis of new evidence in Sinosauropteryx NIGP 127587 and GMV 2124, it is shown here that the alleged protofeathers were not free filaments but part of a composite tissue. It is shown that the tail terminates in a unique, smoothly edged, spatula-shaped structure. The dinosaurs died in the vicinity of a lake. For the first time, the taphonomy of Sinosauropteryx is investigated on the basis of aboveground decomposition experiments on living animals so as to get a better understanding of conditions preceding the death of the animal, its death, decomposition and finally preservation of soft tissue as manifested in the fossil. The signs point strongly to invertebrate colonization of the carcass of Sinosauropteryx rather than vertebrate predation or scavenging, with moderate decay associated with the purge fluids while major decay was forestalled by burial, at most a few days after death. Lastly, a theory that the opisthotonic posture of fossils such as Sinosauropteryx NIGP 127587 occurred perimortem as a consequence of neural spasms provides the basis for a forensic reconstruction of the stages leading to the dinosaur’s death and the final preserved position of the external, dorsally preserved soft tissue, which proves to be more consistent with a uniform crest than individual, free protofeathers.
Zusammenfassung
Die Evolution der Feder: Sinosauropteryx —Leben, Tod und Konservierung eines mutmaßlich befiederten Dinosauriers
Unter den spektakulären Dinosaurierfossilien, die in der Jehol-Gruppe in Nordostchina gefunden wurden, befindet sich der berühmte Sinosauropteryx, der nach wie vor Interesse an Fragen zum Ursprung der Feder hervorruft. Kürzlich wurden mutmaßliche Melanosomen und Farbe in den Integumentstrukturen identifiziert, was sich jedoch als nicht zutreffend erwies. Die entscheidende Bedeutung von Sinosauropteryx hat sich zweifellos auf seinen Status als basaler Theropode und seinen potenziell ausschlaggebenden Informationswert für Modelle des frühen evolutionären Ursprungs moderner Federn konzentriert. Anhand neuer Befunde bei Sinosauropteryx NIGP 127587 und GMV 2124 zeigen wir hier, dass die mutmaßlichen Protofedern nicht freie Filamente, sondern Teil eines Mischgewebes waren. Des Weiteren wird gezeigt, dass der Schwanz in einer einzigartigen glattrandigen spatelförmigen Struktur endet. Darüber hinaus wird die Taphonomie von Sinosauropteryx anhand von oberirdischen Verwesungsexperimenten mit lebenden Tieren untersucht, um ein besseres Verständnis der Bedingungen, die dem Tod des Tieres vorausgingen, seines Todes, seiner Verwesung und schließlich der Konservierung weichen Gewebes, wie es sich im Fossil offenbart, zu erlangen. Die Indizien deuten stark darauf hin, dass der Kadaver von Sinosauropteryx nicht Prädation oder Aasfraß durch Wirbeltiere ausgesetzt war, sondern von Wirbellosen besiedelt wurde—moderate Verwesung stand mit Zutritt von Flüssigkeiten in Zusammenhang, während starke Verwesung durch Bedeckung des Kadavers höchstens wenige Tage nach dem Tod verhindert wurde. Schließlich lieferte eine Theorie, gemäß derer die opisthotone Haltung von Fossilien wie Sinosauropteryx NIGP 127587 als Folge neuraler Spasmen während des Todes auftrat, die Grundlage für eine forensische Rekonstruktion der Stadien, die zum Tod des Dinosauriers führten, und der endgültigen konservierten Position des äußeren dorsal konservierten Weichgewebes, was eher mit einer uniformen Haube als mit einzelnen freien Protofedern übereinstimmt.
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Notes
Some of the displacement may have been exacerbated by decay and burial.
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Communicated by F. Bairlein.
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10336_2011_787_MOESM4_ESM.mp4
Movie 4. Forensic animation showing stages in the perimortem “death throes” of Sinosauropteryx NIGM 127587 ending in the opisthotonic posture (Fig. 1). The animation includes the suggested environment of volcanic eruptions and emissions of clouds of gasses (see text) that apparently led to the poisoning and death of this dinosaur. (GIF 8349 kb)
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Lingham-Soliar, T. The evolution of the feather: Sinosauropteryx, life, death and preservation of an alleged feathered dinosaur. J Ornithol 153, 699–711 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-011-0787-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-011-0787-x