Environmental Factors Affecting Feather Taphonomy
(2022) In Biology 11(5).- Abstract
The exceptional preservation of feathers in the fossil record has led to a better understanding of both phylogeny and evolution. Here we address factors that may have contributed to the preservation of feathers in ancient organisms using experimental taphonomy. We show that the atmospheres of the Mesozoic, known to be elevated in both CO2 and with temperatures above present levels, may have contributed to the preservation of these soft tissues by facilitating rapid precipitation of hydroxy-or carbonate hydroxyapatite, thus outpacing natural degradative processes. Data also support that that microbial degradation was enhanced in elevated CO2, but mineral deposition was also enhanced, contributing to preservation by stabilizing the... (More)
The exceptional preservation of feathers in the fossil record has led to a better understanding of both phylogeny and evolution. Here we address factors that may have contributed to the preservation of feathers in ancient organisms using experimental taphonomy. We show that the atmospheres of the Mesozoic, known to be elevated in both CO2 and with temperatures above present levels, may have contributed to the preservation of these soft tissues by facilitating rapid precipitation of hydroxy-or carbonate hydroxyapatite, thus outpacing natural degradative processes. Data also support that that microbial degradation was enhanced in elevated CO2, but mineral deposition was also enhanced, contributing to preservation by stabilizing the organic components of feathers.
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- author
- Schweitzer, Mary Higby LU ; Zheng, Wenxia and Equall, Nancy
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022-05
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- apatite, CO2, degradation, feather, keratin, melanin, microbes, taphonomy
- in
- Biology
- volume
- 11
- issue
- 5
- article number
- 703
- publisher
- MDPI AG
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85129915488
- pmid:35625431
- ISSN
- 2079-7737
- DOI
- 10.3390/biology11050703
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 2ecc12ac-e689-4b3e-846f-57d291b729d0
- date added to LUP
- 2022-07-13 15:45:54
- date last changed
- 2024-04-18 04:26:41
@article{2ecc12ac-e689-4b3e-846f-57d291b729d0,
abstract = {{<p>The exceptional preservation of feathers in the fossil record has led to a better understanding of both phylogeny and evolution. Here we address factors that may have contributed to the preservation of feathers in ancient organisms using experimental taphonomy. We show that the atmospheres of the Mesozoic, known to be elevated in both CO2 and with temperatures above present levels, may have contributed to the preservation of these soft tissues by facilitating rapid precipitation of hydroxy-or carbonate hydroxyapatite, thus outpacing natural degradative processes. Data also support that that microbial degradation was enhanced in elevated CO2, but mineral deposition was also enhanced, contributing to preservation by stabilizing the organic components of feathers.</p>}},
author = {{Schweitzer, Mary Higby and Zheng, Wenxia and Equall, Nancy}},
issn = {{2079-7737}},
keywords = {{apatite; CO2; degradation; feather; keratin; melanin; microbes; taphonomy}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{5}},
publisher = {{MDPI AG}},
series = {{Biology}},
title = {{Environmental Factors Affecting Feather Taphonomy}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biology11050703}},
doi = {{10.3390/biology11050703}},
volume = {{11}},
year = {{2022}},
}