Serikornis: The "Silky" Dino-Bird

[ZoPteryx]

Serikornis sungei, a new Anchiornis relative from the Late Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation in China.  It posses abundant preserved feathers and pigments.  The pennaceous feathers on it's arms and legs look ill suited for flight or gliding, furthering the theory that these feathers did not first evolve in the context of flight and that this species was terrestrial.  Brownish striping is visible on the wings.  No one's mentioned this so far as I'm aware, but I feel like the neck is kind of long, although I guess that could just be distortion.





Free to read version of paper:
https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s00114-017-1496-y?author_access_token=qK5jILmlXqTUfzaXSeOT4fe4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY5XtMiIuzLHT0w7pfMEQCqN57cyEs2GIzoqs5Z9sbEt05ydpRV-wedb1KJ5MwJh8Kg2RuubzDV9r0AJl8jBoI_iqK1-9ikzq8p8bOLVXyh_UA%3D%3D

The supplement is free to download and has images:
https://static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10.1007%2Fs00114-017-1496-y/MediaObjects/114_2017_1496_MOESM1_ESM.doc

One of the authors discusses the specimen:
http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A//theropoda.blogspot.com/2017/08/serikornis-per-gli-amici-silky.html&hl=en&langpair=it|en&tbb=1&ie=UTF-8

[Halichoeres]

I was also struck by the long neck. I suppose most of its length wouldn't have been obvious in life. Like a pigeon

[Lanthanotus]

Thanks for posting this.

That life reconstruction imagery.... it looks so believable, wouldn't it be great if CollectA made a figure straight from this?

[Reptilia]

That life reconstruction imagery.... it looks so believable, wouldn't it be great if CollectA made a figure straight from this?

Not a bad idea at all! Guidraco and Dimorphodon size, possibly.

[ZoPteryx]

That life reconstruction imagery.... it looks so believable, wouldn't it be great if CollectA made a figure straight from this?

Not a bad idea at all! Guidraco and Dimorphodon size, possibly.

Agreed!  Or maybe from PNSO.

[Loon]

That is a superb fossil, and Emily Wiloughby's art is also fantastic. 

[ceratopsian]

An exceptional fossil indeed.  And yes, we definitely need a model of this as soon as possible!

[Faelrin]

What a wonderfully preserved fossil. Amazing how even the spots of the plumage are still visible.

[Lanthanotus]

That life reconstruction imagery.... it looks so believable, wouldn't it be great if CollectA made a figure straight from this?

Not a bad idea at all! Guidraco and Dimorphodon size, possibly.

I'd buy that instantly.

[stargatedalek]

Could we please stop calling things "dino birds".

[The Atroxious]

Could we please stop calling things "dino birds".

Glad to know I'm not the only one bothered by this. None of these "dino-birds" are, in fact, birds.

[Neosodon]

Could we please stop calling things "dino birds".

Glad to know I'm not the only one bothered by this. None of these "dino-birds" are, in fact, birds.

Dino-bird is a nickname for dinosaurs that are close to birds but not actually classified as avians. So it's kind of like a nickname for avialans. Unless your writing a scientific paper or something formal I think it's fine to use nicknames because they are simpler and easier to remember. And not everyone knows what avialan means but anyone familiar with dinosaurs will recognize and understand the meaning of the term dino-bird.

[stargatedalek]

Could we please stop calling things "dino birds".

Glad to know I'm not the only one bothered by this. None of these "dino-birds" are, in fact, birds.

Dino-bird is a nickname for dinosaurs that are close to birds but not actually classified as avians. So it's kind of like a nickname for avialans. Unless your writing a scientific paper or something formal I think it's fine to use nicknames because they are simpler and easier to remember. And not everyone knows what avialan means but anyone familiar with dinosaurs will recognize and understand the meaning of the term dino-bird.

This isn't a well defined anything. It's like calling arowana "shiny fish" and expecting people to know what is meant. Like yes, arowana are shiny, so once we see it's about an arowana we know what was meant. "Dino bird" is used to mean more or less anything feathered, about as useful.

[ZoPteryx]

Could we please stop calling things "dino birds".

I know it's not technically correct, but it's provocative imagery, just meant to convey a small feathery dinosaur, especially one that's not specifically a "raptor".  "Dino-bird" just conveys a general morphotype more people are likely to understand than if I'd been technical and said "anchiornithine". 

[Sinornis]

Serikornis sungei, a new Anchiornis relative from the Late Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation in China.  .  No one's mentioned this so far as I'm aware, but I feel like the neck is kind of long, although I guess that could just be distortion.




I agree, the neck appears very long. Head and neck remind me a little of Sapeornis chaoyangensis; deep skull, at the end of a relatively long neck. Thank you for posting this incredible fossil!

http://avianmusing.blogspot.com/