Reconstruction of Microraptor and the Evolution of Iridescent Plumage

Abstract

Flashy Feathers Feather colors play key roles in the lives of birds, functioning in everything from camouflage, to thermoregulation, to sexual signaling. Much recent research has revealed that some dinosaurs also had feathers, and examination of feather components in fossil and preserved feathers has begun to reveal how feather color may have played a role in the lives of these dinosaurs. Li et al. (p. 1215 ) compared the characteristics of the melanosomes of the paravian dinosaur Microraptor to those found in extant birds, which suggest that its feathers were black and iridescent. The existence of this subtle color reflectance, together with morphological aspects of the feathered tail, suggests an important role for signaling in the early evolution of feathers.