Feather Quill Knobs in the Dinosaur Velociraptor
Abstract
Some nonavian theropod dinosaurs were at least partially covered in feathers or filamentous protofeathers. However, a complete understanding of feather distribution among theropod dinosaurs is limited because feathers are typically preserved only in lagerstätten like that of Solnhofen, Germany or Liaoning, China. Such deposits possess clear taxonomic biases toward small-bodied animals, limiting our knowledge regarding feather presence in larger members of feathered clades. We present direct evidence of feathers in Velociraptor mongoliensis based on the presence of quill knobs on the posterior forearm.
- Publication:
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Science
- Pub Date:
- September 2007
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 2007Sci...317.1721T
- Keywords:
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- PALEO