Disassociated rhamphotheca of fossil bird Confuciusornis informs early beak reconstruction, stress regime, and developmental patterns

Miller, Case Vincent; Pittman, Michael; Kaye, Thomas G.; Wang, Xiaoli; Bright, Jen A.; Zheng, Xiaoting

Abstract

Soft tissue preservation in fossil birds provides a rare window into their anatomy, function, and development. Here, we present an exceptionally-preserved specimen of Confuciusornis which, through Laser-Stimulated Fluorescence imaging, is identified as preserving a disassociated rhamphotheca. Reconstruction of the in vivo position of the rhamphotheca validates the association of the rhamphotheca with two previous confuciusornithid specimens while calling that of a third specimen into question. The ease of dissociation is discussed and proposed with a fourth specimen alongside finite element analysis as evidence for preferential soft-food feeding. However, this proposition remains tentative until there is a better understanding of the functional role of beak attachment in living birds. Differences in post-rostral extent and possibly rhamphotheca curvature between confuciusornithids and modern birds hint at developmental differences between the two. Together, this information provides a wealth of new information regarding the nature of the beak outside crown Aves.

Citation

Miller, C. V., Pittman, M., Kaye, T. G., Wang, X., Bright, J. A., & Zheng, X. (2020). Disassociated rhamphotheca of fossil bird Confuciusornis informs early beak reconstruction, stress regime, and developmental patterns. Communications Biology, 3(1), Article 519. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-020-01252-1

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 24, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Sep 21, 2020
• Publication Date: 2020-12
• Deposit Date: Sep 28, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 30, 2020
• Journal: Communications Biology
• Print ISSN: 2399-3642
• Electronic ISSN: 2399-3642
• Publisher: Nature Research
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 3
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 519
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-020-01252-1
• Keywords: Biomechanics; Evolution; Evolutionary developmental biology; Palaeontology; Zoology
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3618396
• Publisher URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-020-01252-1