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. 2013 Oct 22;110(43):17404-8.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1316979110. Epub 2013 Oct 7.

Unique caudal plumage of Jeholornis and complex tail evolution in early birds

Jingmai O'Connor  1 , Xiaoli Wang, Corwin Sullivan, Xiaoting Zheng, Pablo Tubaro, Xiaomei Zhang, Zhonghe Zhou
Affiliations

Unique caudal plumage of Jeholornis and complex tail evolution in early birds

Jingmai O'Connor et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. .

Abstract

The Early Cretaceous bird Jeholornis was previously only known to have a distally restricted ornamental frond of tail feathers. We describe a previously unrecognized fan-shaped tract of feathers situated dorsal to the proximal caudal vertebrae. The position and morphology of these feathers is reminiscent of the specialized upper tail coverts observed in males of some sexually dimorphic neornithines. As in the neornithine tail, the unique "two-tail" plumage in Jeholornis probably evolved as the result of complex interactions between natural and sexual selective pressures and served both aerodynamic and ornamental functions. We suggest that the proximal fan would have helped to streamline the body and reduce drag whereas the distal frond was primarily ornamental. Jeholornis reveals that tail evolution was complex and not a simple progression from frond to fan.

Keywords: Aves; Jehol; Mesozoic.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Jeholornis sp. STM2-37 preserving the proximal tail fan in situ forming a horizontally oriented fan, or aerofoil. (A) Full slab. (Scale bar: 5 cm.) (B) Close up of the proximal fan. (Scale bar: 1 cm.)
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Tail feathers in Jeholornis sp. (A) Close-up of the tail in STM3-30 preserving both the proximal fan and distal frond. (B) Tail in Jeholornis palmapenis holotype SDM 20090109.1 preserving nearly complete caudal plumage. (C) Close-up of the distal tail frond in the counter slab of J. palmapenis SDM 20090109.2. (D) Full slab of STM3-4 preserving both the proximal fan and distal frond. (Scale bars: 3 cm.)
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Reconstruction of the plumage of Jeholornis. (Scale bar: 5 cm.)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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