The soft tissues of many fossil vertebrates preserve evidence of melanosomes-micron-scale organelles that inform on integumentary coloration and communication strategies. In extant vertebrates, however, melanosomes also occur in internal tissues. Hence, fossil melanosomes may not derive solely from the integument and its appendages. Here, by analyzing extant and fossil frogs, we show that non-integumentary melanosomes have high fossilization potential, vastly outnumber those from the skin, and potentially dominate the melanosome films preserved in some fossil vertebrates. Our decay experiments show that non-integumentary melanosomes usually remain in situ provided that carcasses are undisturbed. Micron-scale study of fossils, however, demon...
Inference of colour patterning in extinct dinosaurs(1-3) has been based on the relationship between ...
Evidence of original coloration in fossils provides insights into the visual communication strategie...
Round to elongate microbodies associated with fossil vertebrate soft tissues were interpreted as mic...
Recent reports of nonintegumentary melanosomes in fossils hint at functions for melanin beyond color...
Fossil melanosomes, micron-sized granules rich in melanin in vivo, provide key information for inves...
The field of fossil colour is emerging rapidly as a new focus of palaeobiological research. Evidence...
Melanins are widespread pigments in vertebrates, with important roles in visual signaling, UV protec...
Fossil melanosomes are a major focus of paleobiological research because they can inform on the orig...
Melanin is a ubiquitous pigment found throughout a variety of vertebrate tissues where it fulfils se...
Melanins are widespread pigments in vertebrates, with important roles in visual signaling, UV protec...
In living organisms, color patterns, behavior, and ecology are closely linked. Thus, detection of fo...
Throughout the animal kingdom, adaptive colouration serves critical functions ranging from inconspic...
Fossil melanin granules (melanosomes) are an important resource for inferring the evolutionary histo...
Paleo-colour scientists have recently made the transition from describing melanin-based colouration...
Fossil melanin granules (melanosomes) are an important resource for inferring the evolutionary histo...
Inference of colour patterning in extinct dinosaurs(1-3) has been based on the relationship between ...
Evidence of original coloration in fossils provides insights into the visual communication strategie...
Round to elongate microbodies associated with fossil vertebrate soft tissues were interpreted as mic...
Recent reports of nonintegumentary melanosomes in fossils hint at functions for melanin beyond color...
Fossil melanosomes, micron-sized granules rich in melanin in vivo, provide key information for inves...
The field of fossil colour is emerging rapidly as a new focus of palaeobiological research. Evidence...
Melanins are widespread pigments in vertebrates, with important roles in visual signaling, UV protec...
Fossil melanosomes are a major focus of paleobiological research because they can inform on the orig...
Melanin is a ubiquitous pigment found throughout a variety of vertebrate tissues where it fulfils se...
Melanins are widespread pigments in vertebrates, with important roles in visual signaling, UV protec...
In living organisms, color patterns, behavior, and ecology are closely linked. Thus, detection of fo...
Throughout the animal kingdom, adaptive colouration serves critical functions ranging from inconspic...
Fossil melanin granules (melanosomes) are an important resource for inferring the evolutionary histo...
Paleo-colour scientists have recently made the transition from describing melanin-based colouration...
Fossil melanin granules (melanosomes) are an important resource for inferring the evolutionary histo...
Inference of colour patterning in extinct dinosaurs(1-3) has been based on the relationship between ...
Evidence of original coloration in fossils provides insights into the visual communication strategie...
Round to elongate microbodies associated with fossil vertebrate soft tissues were interpreted as mic...