Yuanchuavis kompsosoura

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Time: Early Cretaceous (~120 million years ago)

Region: Liaoning Province, China

Formation: Jiufotang Formation, Jehol Biota

Coloration Data

In Wang et al. (2021), melanosomes were analyzed in the tail plumage of specimen IVPP V27883. The bird's tail exhibited a sharply contrasting color pattern: the two central, elongated tail feathers were deeply pigmented, appearing dark brown or black, whereas the shorter tail fan at the base was noticeably lighter—either grey or possessing non-iridescent structural coloration. In extant birds, this variety of structural color typically produces vivid shades of blue. Other regions of the body were not evaluated for coloration in this study.

Method: Scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Publications

• Min Wang, Jingmai K. O'Connor, Tao Zhao, Yanhong Pan, Xiaoting Zheng, Xiaoli Wang, Zhonghe Zhou (2021)
  An article about Yuanchuavis kompsosoura.

Documents and files

• Wang_et_al_2021.pdf (PDF)
  Article from Current Biology containing data on the coloration of Yuanchuavis kompsosoura.

Reconstructions

Fossils