Re: [dinosaur] Archaeopteryx coloring

[Alberta Claw <albertonykus@gmail.com>]

A brief history of research on Archaeopteryx coloration is as follows: Carney et al. (2012) sampled melanosomes from the original isolated feather assigned to Archaeopteryx and suggested that the entire feather was black based on melanosome morphology. Manning et al. (2013) mapped trace metals on the isolated feather as well as the Berlin and Thermopolis specimens, and suggested that the tips of the wing feathers were more heavily pigmented than their bases, under the assumption that the trace metals are products of melanin breakdown and that their distribution reflects original pigmentation patterns.

Naturally, all methods of paleocolor reconstruction have their caveats, but the trace metal mapping method used by Manning et al. (2013) arguably requires more layers of assumptions to draw conclusions about the original pigmentation. As such, I personally would be inclined to trust the Carney et al. (2012) results more where the two studies contradict each other. (Roy et al., 2019 is a good summary of paleocolor research and the limitations of different methods.)

However... Kaye et al. (2019) recently reevaluated the morphology of the isolated feather and argued that it may not belong to Archaeopteryx, in which case the conclusions of Carney et al. (2012) wouldn't actually apply to Archaeopteryx at all. That being said, Carney and others presented a poster at the latest Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting that maintains Archaeopteryx as the most likely owner of the feather, so we probably haven't heard the last of this by a long shot. (Unfortunately, I was not able to see that poster at SVP.)

Given all of that, my two cents is that there's currently enough ambiguity to color Archaeopteryx almost any way you want. You could certainly choose to depict it with dark wing feathers if you wanted to give a nod to the relevant paleocolor studies; after all, there currently isn't any evidence against black (or at least black-tipped) wing feathers in Archaeopteryx, and it's a common color pattern among modern birds. However, there also isn't enough of a consensus in my opinion that you should feel beholden to doing so.

On Mon, Oct 21, 2019 at 11:33 PM James Norton <jnorton1946@gmail.com> wrote:

I have taken up wood carving in my retirement, and am in the planning stages of a life-sized carving of a running Archaeopteryx. The creature will have its fully-feathered wings and tail portrayed in a way that suggests that they have a stabilization function while Archie is making a sharp running turn. The pose will be ambiguous, however, suggesting both a creature running in pursuit of a prey and a winged animal about to take flight at any time. This ambiguity would be consistent with the current debates about the flight capabilities of Archaeopteryx. Â

I am taking detailed measurements off a life-sized resin replica of the Berlin specimen, to make sure that the physical dimensions of the carving are correct, but hereâs my question: What color should the finished carving be? I have read a number of recent articles about melanosome distribution in Archie feathers, and there still seems to be debate about whether the wing feathers were completely black or had some color variation along their length. A carving painted dark to resemble a raven, including some iridescence, would be dramatic enough, but I want to be as current and scientifically accurate as possible about what the actual coloration pattern might be. Did Archieâs coloration resemble that of a raven, a hawk, maybe even a partridge?

The audience for this carving, when it is finished, will be highly experienced bird carvers, but still folks who probably donât have a lot of knowledge of paleontology or avian evolution. I really canât wait until the carving is done and I enter it in a carving competition in the category of ârealistic birds, life-sizedâ. The bony tail, the wing claws, and the teeth will certainly raise a few eyebrows! I am also preparing some sort of a booklet that would have educational value at whatever venue I might eventually display the carving.

Any opinions about Archaeopteryx coloration would be welcome and helpful for this project, including the suggestion that I simply indulge my own creative fantasies about what this fascinating creature might have looked like. Thanks in advance, and wish me luck.

James

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