3月9日，國際著名雜志Science在線刊登了國外研究人員的最新研究成果“Reconstruction of Microraptor and the Evolution of Iridescent Plumage”,，文章中,，研究者發(fā)現(xiàn)小盜龍的羽毛含有可以發(fā)出熒光的黑色素體。
小盜龍這種恐龍的羽毛可能帶有一種閃爍著熒光的黑色素體,。在現(xiàn)代鳥類中,，閃光的羽色是由排成陣列的“黑色素體”產生的，而黑色素體是含有黑色素這種黑暗色素的細胞器,。Quanguo Li及其在中美兩國的同事對來自小盜龍這種近鳥類恐龍的成為化石的黑色素體與那些在現(xiàn)代鳥類中發(fā)現(xiàn)的黑色素體進行了比較（近鳥類恐龍構成了兩腿獸腳類恐龍中的一個亞組,，它包括了鳥類世系）。
在羽毛化石中及在現(xiàn)代的閃光羽毛中的黑色素體是特別狹長的,。它們還以片狀,、端對端的定向排列。文章的作者得出結論：這些羽毛表明,，至少有某些小盜龍的羽毛是閃爍著熒光及黑色的,。他們進一步提出，這些羽毛化石包括了一組用來吸引配偶的可能有裝飾或發(fā)出信號用途的長尾羽毛,。Li及其同事猜測,，熒光色彩可能對這一方面有幫助，使得其尾部羽毛變得更為奪目,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1126/science.1213780
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Reconstruction of Microraptor and the Evolution of Iridescent Plumage
Quanguo Li1, Ke-Qin Gao2, Qingjin Meng1, Julia A. Clarke3, Matthew D. Shawkey4,*, Liliana D’Alba4, Rui Pei5, Mick Ellison5, Mark A. Norell5, Jakob Vinther3,6
Iridescent feather colors involved in displays of many extant birds are produced by nanoscale arrays of melanin-containing organelles (melanosomes). Data relevant to the evolution of these colors and the properties of melanosomes involved in their generation have been limited. A data set sampling variables of extant avian melanosomes reveals that those forming most iridescent arrays are distinctly narrow. Quantitative comparison of these data with melanosome imprints densely sampled from a previously unknown specimen of the Early Cretaceous feathered Microraptor predicts that its plumage was predominantly iridescent. The capacity for simple iridescent arrays is thus minimally inferred in paravian dinosaurs. This finding and estimation of Microraptor feathering consistent with an ornamental function for the tail suggest a centrality for signaling in early evolution of plumage and feather color.
