US EditionThis Surprising Ancient Reptile Had a Colorful, Corrugated Sail on Its Back. New Research Suggests It Was Used to Communicate
VOSGES MOUNTAINS, NORTHEASTERN FRANCE, JUL 23 – Mirasaura grauvogeli had complex, feather-like skin appendages 247 million years ago, indicating early independent evolution of such structures in reptiles, researchers found.
- In a landmark Nature study, researchers describe Mirasaura grauvogeli, a 247-million-year-old reptile with complex feather-like crests, challenging previous assumptions about skin evolution.
- Found in the Vosges mountains of northeastern France, fossils include two skeletons and 80 crest specimens collected between the 1930s and 1970s by Louis Grauvogel.
- Microscopic examination reveals Dr. Stephan Spiekman notes the Mirasaura grauvogeli appendages lack complex branching seen in feathers, and melanosome geometry matches that of feather melanosomes, says Spiekman.
- Prof Dr. Rainer Schoch says, 'Mirasaura developed an alternative to feathers very early in Earth's history,' and this discovery forces us to reconsider reptile evolution, indicating early complex skin structures.
- Looking ahead, Stephan Spiekman suggests further study of the Alsace fossil site to uncover more about Mirasaura grauvogeli's biology.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Mysterious fossil may rewrite story of skin and feather evolution in reptiles
A delicate, innocuous little fossil reptile known as Mirasaura grauvogeli – “Grauvogel’s wonder reptile” – is forcing a rethink about the evolution of skin and its appendages such as feathers and hair. These newly discovered fossils, from the Middle Triassic (247 million years old) Grès à Voltzia site in northeast France, preserve evidence of some of the most astonishing soft-tissue features described to date in ancient reptiles. We are two of t…
In what is now northern France, a small reptile lived 247 million years ago. Clambering through giant ferns and other plants, this Mirasaura hunted insects. On its back, the animal had a distinctive crest. Made of something that resembles feathers, but isn't. It turns out to be a new outgrowth of the skin—not feathers, scales, or hair—that arose independently during evolution. "This really changes our view of how we should look at reptiles," say…
Neither Scales Nor Feathers: Bizarre Appendage Discovered on Reptile Fossil
A bizarre reptile once scurried through the Triassic treetops with an extravagant crest on its back, one made from neither scale, nor bone, nor feather. The extinct creature's 247-million-year-old fossils immediately stood out to paleontologists. The impressive appendage on its back looks like a frill of overlapping feathers at first glance, but it's much older than the earliest fossilized feather, and there's no branching to indicate a plume. T…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 64% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
