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The distribution of integumentary structures in a feathered dinosaur

Abstract

Non-avian theropod dinosaurs with preserved integumentary coverings are becoming more common1,2,3,4,5,6; but apart from the multiple specimens of Caudipteryx, which have true feathers2,7, animals that are reasonably complete and entirely articulated that show these structures in relation to the body have not been reported. Here we report on an enigmatic small theropod dinosaur that is covered with filamentous feather-like structures over its entire body.

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Figure 1: NGMC 91-A, showing the distribution of filamentous integumentary structures across the entire body.
Figure 2: The hands of NGMC 91-A, a, Left.
Figure 3: The tail of NGMC 91-A.
Figure 4: The pes of NGMC 91.
Figure 5: Integumentary structures of NGMC 91.
Figure 6

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Acknowledgements

Comments from J. Clark, P. Makovicky, K. Padian, R. Prum and M. Siddall improved the manuscript. M. Ellison provided the Figures. We thank X. Xing and Z. Zhonghe for access to Sinornithosaurus. Support was provided by the Division of Paleontology (AMNH); the Ministry of Land Resources of the People's Republic of China; the National Natural Science Foundation of China; the National Geographic Society; R. Byron and L. Jaffe; and V. Pan.

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Supplementary information

An allometric analysis was performed to evaluate how and if NGMC 91 differs from Sinornithosaurus, and how these specimens differ from an allometric model created for Archaeopteryx. Measurements between these specimens are highly correlated (.983) (Table 1, Graph 1). Individual measurements were multiplied with the allometric scalar provided by Houck et al.20 for Archaeopteryx lithographica to generate an expected value for these elements if they scaled in the same fashion as this taxon. Results are presented in Graphs 2 (NGMC 91) and 3 (Sinornithosaurus).

Table 1 and Graphs 1 to 3 (PDF 38 kb)

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Ji, Q., Norell, M., Gao, KQ. et al. The distribution of integumentary structures in a feathered dinosaur. Nature 410, 1084–1088 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35074079

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