原羽鸟属

原羽鸟属（学名：Protopteryx）是种存在于白垩纪已灭绝的鸟类，可能是已知最原始的反鸟亚纲Zhou, Zhonghe. (2002). "A new and primitive enantiornithine bird from the Early Cretaceous of China." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 22(1): 49-57.。模式种是丰宁原羽鸟（P. fengningensis）。其遗骸首次发现于中国河北省义县组或的四岔口段段，化石时期为距今1.31亿年前O'Connor, J.K., Zhou Z. and Zhang F. (In press). "A reappraisal of Boluochia zhengi (Aves: Enantiornithes) and a discussion of intraclade diversity in the Jehol avifauna, China." Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, (published online before print 16 December 2010). ，后来又发现于大北沟组Zhiheng Li, Zhonghe Zhou, Min Wang, Julia A. Clarke, (2014). "A New Specimen of Large-Bodied Basal Enantiornithine Bohaiornis from the Early Cretaceous of China and the Inference of Feeding Ecology in Mesozoic Birds." Journal of Paleontology, 88: 99-108.。学名Protopteryx意为“原始的羽毛”A Primitive Enantiornithine Bird and the Origin of Feathers      Fucheng Zhang and     Zhonghe Zhou  Science 8 December 2000: 290 (5498), 1955-1959. [DOI:10.1126/science.290.5498.1955]，其中“proto-”意为“第一个”，“-pteryx”意为“羽毛”或“翅膀”，此名是指该属具有比现代鸟类更加原始的羽毛，如两根缺乏羽小枝的修长尾羽Zhou, Zhonghe, and Fucheng Zhang. "Origin of feathers–perspectives from fossil evidence." Science Progress 84, no. 2 (2001): 87-104.。

 描述 
原羽鸟化石显示，这种鸟与今天的椋鸟大致相同。除去尾羽，成年原羽鸟长约。原羽鸟牙齿呈锥形，无锯齿，某些牙齿存在类似始祖鸟的骨吸收坑洞。原羽鸟身上覆有三种类型的羽毛：绒羽、飞羽及修长的带状尾羽，大部分羽毛长左右。绒羽的羽支呈层状而非毛发状且尖端磨损。原羽鸟最特别之处，在于尾部有两根仅末端生有羽支的修长羽毛。这两根尾羽靠近身体的部分很细、呈针状。唯一具备这种羽毛的现存鸟类只有极乐鸟。尾羽在尾部近端部分同样缺乏羽支"A Primitive Enantiornithine Bird and the Origin of Feathers", Fucheng Zhang and Zhonghe Zhou". Science  8 December 2000: 290 (5498), 1955-1959. [DOI:10.1126/science.290.5498.1955]。

 分类 
原羽鸟是反鸟亚纲已知最原始的成员之一，出现于始祖鸟及最原始的鸟类——孔子鸟之后Fucheng, Z., Zhonghe, Z. and Dyke, G. (2006), Feathers and ‘feather-like’ integumentary structures in Liaoning birds and dinosaurs. Geol. J., 41: 395–404. doi: 10.1002/gj.1057。原羽鸟比始华夏鸟和副原羽鸟Xiaoting, Z., Zihui, Z. and Lianhai, H. (2007), A New Enantiornitine Bird with Four Long Rectrices from the Early Cretaceous of Northern Hebei, China. Acta Geologica Sinica, 81: 703–708. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-6724.2007.tb00995.x还要原始。

 发现及分布 
原羽鸟化石发现于河北省Jin, F.; Zhang, F.C.; Li, Z.H.; Zhang, J.Y.; Li, C.; Zhou, Z.H. (2008). "On the horizon of Protopteryx and the early vertebrate fossil assemblages of the Jehol Biota". Chinese Science Bulletin 53 (18): 2820–2827. doi:10.1007/s11434-008-0209-5.，出土于义县组四岔口段和大北沟组Zhonghe, Z. (2006), "Evolutionary radiation of the Jehol Biota: chronological and ecological perspectives". Geol. J., 41: 377–393. doi: 10.1002/gj.1045O’Connor, Jingmai K., Zhonghe Zhou, and Fucheng Zhang. "A reappraisal of Boluochia zhengi (Aves: Enantiornithes) and a discussion of intraclade diversity in the Jehol avifauna, China." Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 9, no. 1 (2011): 51-63.。四岔口盆地是大兴安岭—太行山构造岩浆带（Daxinganling-Taihangshan Tectonomagmatic Belt）的一部分，并向东北偏北方向移动。原羽鸟生存期间该盆地位于红浅沟—芥菜沟一带。
 古生物学 
原羽鸟所在的热河生物群栖息着众多陆生及淡水脊椎动物He, H. Y., X. L. Wang, F. Jin, Z. H. Zhou, F. Wang, L. K. Yang, X. Ding, A. Boven, and R. X. Zhu (2006), "The 40Ar/39Ar dating of the early Jehol Biota from Fengning, Hebei Province, northern China", Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 7, Q04001, doi:10.1029/2005GC001083.。原羽鸟的牙齿类似始祖鸟，表明两者食性相似。

 羽毛 
原羽鸟适于飞行且羽毛具有与现代鸟类相似的特征，如其前喙骨、胸嵴、肱骨外上髁、三角嵴所示，表明原羽鸟具有类似现代鸟类的喙肌上和胸肌。原羽鸟还有着类似始祖鸟、孔子鸟及其它飞禽的不对称翅膀飞羽。原羽鸟尾羽靠近身体那部分缺乏羽支，表明其有飞行以外的用途，如展示、温度调节或用作感官。

参见


参考资料

来源
 http://www.fossilmuseum.net/Fossil-Pictures/Birds/Protopteryx/Protopteryx-fengningensis.htm 
 Mesozoic Birds: Above the Heads of Dinosaurs by Luis M. Chiappe and Lawrence M. Witmer

外部链接
Protopteryx in the Paleobiology Database
Protopteryx fossil courtesy of Fossil Museum  

Category:白堊紀鳥類
Category:亞洲史前鳥類
Category:反鳥亞綱
Category:2000年描述的分類群