古脊椎动物学报2021，Vol.59Issue(2)：106-124,19.DOI:10.19615/j.cnki.1000-3118.201222
现生鸟类和孔子鸟(Confuciusornis)叉骨软骨的研究:初步分析以及对中生代鸟类飞行方式的启示
Cartilage on the furculae of living birds and the extinct bird Confuciusornis:a preliminary analysis and implications for flight style inferences in Mesozoic birds
摘要
Abstract
The early evolution of flight is one of the most studied topics in vertebrate paleontology.Living birds have evolved to utilize a variety of flight styles,but studies focused on inferring flight strategies in Mesozoic birds are often contradictory and without a clear consensus,making it necessary to find additional informative characteristics that can be useful for inferences in fossils.Virtually nothing is known about the histology of the avian pectoral girdle,even though skeletal and joint tissues are key candidates to solve form-function relationships.Avian secondary cartilage found on the dermal bones of the avian skeleton is influenced by epigenetics and only forms when joints are stimulated by muscle contractions.As the only dermal bone in the avian postcranium,the furcula is a potential site for the formation of furcular secondary cartilage and merits further attention.It is still unknown whether adult living birds and fossil birds have furcular secondary cartilage.Here we present histological analyses conducted on the furcula-coracoid articulation in three living birds(Spilopelia chinensis,the Spotted dove;Passer montanus,the Eurasian tree sparrow;and A pus apus,the Common swift),taxa that utilize different flight styles,and one of the most common fossil birds of the Jehol Biota,Confuciusornis.Secondary cartilage was identified on the furculae of the living birds and of Confuciusornis,representing the first report of furcular secondary cartilage in the fossil record.Clear differences in secondary cartilage morphologies were observed in the living species,but additional data is required to establish a strong form-function relationship that could be useful for making inferences in Mesozoic birds.关键词
飞行演化/鸟类/孔子鸟/叉骨/组织学/次级软骨Key words
Evolution of flight/birds/Confuciusornis/furcula/histology/secondary cartilage分类
生物科学引用本文复制引用
吴倩,邹晶梅,李志恒,艾莉达..现生鸟类和孔子鸟(Confuciusornis)叉骨软骨的研究:初步分析以及对中生代鸟类飞行方式的启示[J].古脊椎动物学报,2021,59(2):106-124,19.基金项目
国家自然科学基金基础科学中心项目《克拉通破坏与陆地生物演化》(批准号:41688103)和中国科学院国际人才计划资助.We thank Zhou Zhonghe for fruitful discussions and encouragements.We thank Zhang Shukang for sectioning the furcula of Confuciusornis （批准号:41688103）
Zhang Limin for facilitating lab access （）
and Ying Pengfei for CT scanning at IVPP.We also thank the Beijing Wildlife Rescue Center for providing specimens and two reviewers for their useful comments.This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Grant 41688103.AMB also thanks CAS-PIFI for support(Chinese Academy of Sciences-President's International Fellowship Initiative). （Chinese Academy of Sciences-President's International Fellowship Initiative）
