The evolution of the feathers of the study of a trias reptile

Going to the Triassic period is to do more than 200 million years ago that meant the start of the mass extinction of the Permian. Therefore, the appearance of the first dinosaurs on earth. Moreover, At that time, the weather was very hot and dry and the vegetation was rather rare in many regions.

The most striking of this period is that the species that had disappeared began to recover. For example, new groups of fish in the ocean. Meanwhile, These were accompanied by the first lands. Consequently, reptiles, such as the one that has now been the subject of an interesting study. Therefore,

A study confirms that before the birds. However, there were already reptiles with feathers in the Triassic

The skin of vertebrates can be covered by different types of annexes, such as mammalian hair and bird feathers, which fulfill evolution feathers study trias reptile insulation functions, sensitivity, exposure during mating or even flight. However, Now. Therefore, an international study led by Stephan Spiekman, paleontologist at the Stuttgart Natural History Museum (Germany), has discovered a fossil of a triassic reptile with structures similar to the feathers that question theories on the evolution of complex appendices.

According to the article published in Nature. Furthermore, this observation demonstrates that these unusual anatomical training could have evolved between the reptiles before the emergence of birds and their closest parents, which provides new knowledge on the origin of the different forms of coating.

The study focused on a collection of Mirasaura Gravogeli fossils, a species that lived around 247 million years ago. Among the remains evolution feathers study trias reptile analyzed. two exceptionally well -preserved skeletons are distinguished, in addition to soft tissues and isolated structures present in 80 other copies.

Spiekman explains that “Mirasaura clearly shows that the ability to develop complex appendices is also present in the first reptiles. not only in birds and mammals, which means a radical change in what we know about the evolution of the skin in these animals. “The discovery opens up the possibility that other groups of reptiles can also develop these structures in the past. which could mean that they lived and behaved much more than we perceive it previously,” he adds.

A reptile that already had feathers?

This is not the first time that signs of “unusual” structures have been found in reptiles. In fact. previous work had already identified species such as Longisquama Insignis or certain pterosaurs which had atypical appendices, such as structures similar to primitive feathers. However. evolution feathers study trias reptile according to the author, the case of Mirasaura is different because it is in a completely different branch of the evolution of reptiles.

Scientific evidence suggests that there is partial shared ancestry between reptiles. birds and mammals, because a common ancestor had characteristics of amniotas – the group of animals that put eggs with internal membranes.

This ancestor was the key to the evolution of complex skin adaptations in different lines. although each type of appendix, such as feathers or hair, has emerged independently. “Feathers, ladders and hair are not homologous. However. biologists have discovered that there are large molecular similarities in the genes used in the establishment and development of the areas where they are formed, “explains evolving biologist Richard Prum, of the University of Yale (United States).

Mirasaura does not suggest that real feathers come before what was thought. explain the specialists, because, in substance, they are different evolution feathers study trias reptile structures. The main involvement of the study is that Mirasaura confirms that this type of complex skin appendages evolved very. early in the history of reptiles.

The crest along the spine of Mirasaura has appendages up to 153 millimeters in length which contain left -handed cells called melanosomes. responsible for the color of the skin, hair and feathers. In this case. the melanosomes found are more similar to those found in the feathers than those present in the skin of reptiles or mammal hair.

In addition, “the Mirasaura annexes develop outwards during their growth, just like feathers. Since birds. Mirasaura are reptiles from an evolutionary point of view, they can share the mechanism to form follicles in the form of a ring, “explains the chief of the study.

The appendages formed an unpaid crest on the back of the animal and had no blood flow. For this reason, the authors evolution feathers study trias reptile excluded that they had a function of sliding, flight, camouflage or thermoregulatory structure. Most likely. it was used for a visual signaling objective, such as impressing a partner or notifying a competitor

“One possibility is to scare predators by increasing the size of Mirasaura, but we believe that it is most likely to have served a visual objective such as the printing of a partner or warning a competitor, which suggests an advanced visual capacity,” explains Spiekman. In fact. its skull superficially similar to that of a bird has large eye pools with eyes facing forward which supports this theory.

“Here. we have an animal that is evolving before all the groups of living reptiles that had large eyes, a large brain and wore a very complex coating. The reptiles were clearly much more diverse in the past than they are today. and I am very curious to know what evolution feathers study trias reptile future discoveries will appear, “he concludes.

An important observation which corresponds to this period of the Triassic. which was essential to lay the foundations of future biodiversity thanks to the evolution of new species which would dominate in the stages which occurred later. Ecotics.com