Reconstruction of Microraptor and the Evolution of Iridescent Plumage

Flashy Feathers Feather colors play key roles in the lives of birds, functioning in everything from camouflage, to thermoregulation, to sexual signaling. Much recent research has revealed that some dinosaurs also had feathers, and examination of feather components in fossil and preserved feathers has begun to reveal how feather color may have played a role in the lives of these dinosaurs. Li et al. (p. 1215 ) compared the characteristics of the...