Sinosauropteryx

[Richard Cowen <cowen@blueoakfarm.com>]

The full list of authors is (drum-roll)

Theagarten Lingham-Soliar, Alan Feduccia and Xiaolin Wang

Abstract.
Alleged primitive feathers or protofeathers in the theropod dinosaur  
Sinosauropteryx have potentially profound
implications concerning feather morphogenesis, evolution of flight,  
dinosaur physiology and perhaps even the
origin of birds, yet their existence has never been adequately  
documented. We report on a new specimen
of Sinosauropteryx which shows that the integumental structures  
proposed as protofeathers are the remains of
structural fibres that provide toughness. The preservation in the  
proximal tail area reveals an architecture of
closely associated bands of fibres parallel to the tail’s long axis,  
which originate from the skin. In adjacent more
exposed areas, the fibres are short, fragmented and disorganized.  
Fibres preserved dorsal to the neck and back
and in the distal part of the tail are the remains of a stiffening  
system of a frill, peripheral to the body and
extending from the head to the tip of the tail. These findings are  
confirmed in the holotype Sinosauropteryx and
NIGP 127587. The fibres show a striking similarity to the structure  
and levels of organization of dermal
collagen. The proposal that these fibres are protofeathers is dismissed.


I was able to get a .pdf from

http://www.publishing.royalsoc.ac.uk/media/proceedings_b/ 
RSPB20070352.pdf

but I don't know whether this was related to my institution's  
subscription. It looks like free access to me, at least for a while...


Cheers

Richard