Morphology forms the most fundamental level of data in vertebrate palaeontology because it
is through interpretations of morphology that taxa are identified, creating the basis for broad …

Much is known about skeletal adaptation in relation to the mechanical functions that bones
serve. This includes how bone adapts to mechanical loading during an individual's lifetime …

As a fundamental ecological aspect of most organisms, locomotor function significantly
constrains morphology. At the same time, the evolution of novel locomotor abilities has …

The study of the Early Cretaceous terrestrial Jehol Biota, which provides a rare window for
reconstruction of a Lower Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem, is reviewed with a focus on …

The geometry of feather barbs (barb length and barb angle) determines feather vane
asymmetry and vane rigidity, which are both critical to a feather's aerodynamic performance …

Burmese amber has recently provided some detailed glimpses of plumage, soft tissues, and
osteology of juvenile enantiornithine birds, but these insights have been restricted to …

The iconic primeval bird Archaeopteryx was so far mainly known from the Altmühltal
Formation (early Tithonian) of Bavaria, southern Germany, with one specimen having been …

Background The origin of powered avian flight was a locomotor innovation that expanded
the ecological potential of maniraptoran dinosaurs, leading to remarkable variation in …

Enantiornithines were the dominant birds of the Mesozoic, but understanding of their diet is
still tenuous. We introduce new data on the enantiornithine family Bohaiornithidae, famous …

From its first appearance in early vertebrates, the spine evolved the function of protecting the
spinal cord, avoiding excessive straining during body motion. Its stiffness and strength …