Countershading and Stripes in the Theropod Dinosaur Sinosauropteryx Reveal Heterogeneous Habitats in the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota.

摘要: Countershading is common across a variety of lineages and ecological time [1-4]. A dark dorsum lighter ventrum helps to mask the three-dimensional shape body by reducing self-shadowing decreasing conspicuousness, thus helping avoid detection predators prey [1, 2, 4, 5]. The optimal countershading pattern dictated lighting environment, which in turn dependent upon habitat 3, 5, 6]. With discovery fossil melanin [7, 8], it possible infer original color patterns from fossils, including [3, 9, 10]. Applying these principles, we describe diminutive theropod dinosaur Sinosauropteryx Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota Liaoning, China. From reconstructions based on exceptional compared predicted transitions 3D animal's abdomen, imaged different environments. Reconstructed match well with those for animals living open habitats. presumed have been predominantly closed forested environment [3, 11, 12], but our results indicate more heterogeneous range also shown exhibit "bandit mask," many vertebrates, particularly birds, that serves multiple functions camouflage [13-18]. therefore shows features likely related lived. Our show how reconstructing extinct can inform their ecologies beyond what may be obvious skeletal remains alone. VIDEO ABSTRACT.