Mosaic evolution in an asymmetrically feathered troodontid dinosaur with transitional features.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Xu X
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5418581 | biostudies-literature | 2017 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Mosaic evolution in an asymmetrically feathered troodontid dinosaur with transitional features.
Xu Xing X Currie Philip P Pittman Michael M Xing Lida L Meng Qingjin Q Lü Junchang J Hu Dongyu D Yu Congyu C
Nature communications 20170502
Asymmetrical feathers have been associated with flight capability but are also found in species that do not fly, and their appearance was a major event in feather evolution. Among non-avialan theropods, they are only known in microraptorine dromaeosaurids. Here we report a new troodontid, Jianianhualong tengi gen. et sp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Group of China, that has anatomical features that are transitional between long-armed basal troodontids and derived short-armed ones, shedd ...[more]
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