Middle Triassic Reptile Discovery Challenges Feather Evolution Theories

Quick Summary

• Discovery: Paleontologists identified a new genus and species of Triassic reptile, Mirasaura grauvogeli, which lived approximately 247 million years ago in what is now Europe.
• Unique Traits: This diapsid species featured striking integumentary appendages up to 15.3 cm long along its back. These appendages are neither feathers nor skin but share characteristics with feathers.
• Preservation: The identification relies on two well-preserved skeletons and 80 associated specimens,discovered in northeastern France in the 1930s but analyzed comprehensively only recently.
• Meaning of Appendages: Pigment-producing melanosomes within the tissues resemble those found in feathers more than reptilian skin or mammalian hair, though they lack branching patterns typical of true feathers. Researchers suggest these appendages may have been used for visual interaction rather than flight or camouflage.
• Scientific implications: Findings indicate such complex body structures evolved among reptiles before birds, providing deeper insight into the origins of feathers and hair-like traits.

140912-Mirasaura-grauvogeli.jpg”>Read More