Exceptional preservation and foot structure reveal ecological transitions and lifestyles of early theropod flyers

[Faelrin]

Paper is open access:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-35039-1

Lots of dinosaur feet pics with skin in the paper, such as from Anchiornis, Microraptor, etc. Really interesting to see. A few examples below:

Microraptor STM 5-109:



Anchiornis STM 0-147:



In trying to find out more information about that particular specimen of Microraptor used, I did stumble upon this paper that might also be of interest (which was only published last month, and the lead author, Michael Pittman, worked on both):

https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2205476119

[Sim]

Interesting!  I didn't know there were preserved meals of Anchiornis.  I'm surprised that even with its long leg feathers Anchiornis is recovered as cursorial and its lizard meals support that.  I'm more surprised though by it having fish meals.  I wonder how Anchiornis obtained them?  It's nice to see Microraptor recovered as a flying predator like extant raptors.  I had a feeling that's what microraptorians were and this paper supports that.

[Sim]

I forgot to add that Microraptor's pointed forelimb wings are a shape that is consistent with fast flying, something that is consistent with its hunting behaviour in this paper.

[Faelrin]

@Sim I haven't had the time to read it in full (or the other one I also linked) so that's really fascinating to see. You are also the second person I've seen who picked up on that (the other was on my r/naturewasmetal reddit post for this). I remember there being a lot of push-back for this earlier on, but it has definitely been edging in this direction as of late. What a sight that would have been to see, with its magnificent four feathered wings, unlike anything alive today.