Non-integumentary melanosomes can bias reconstructions of the colours of fossil vertebrates

The colour of extinct animals has been inferred from fossilized melanosomes – organelles rich in melanin. Here, the authors show that internal melanosomes that do not contribute to colour are abundant in some extant vertebrates and may redistribute during fossilization, necessitating caution in inte...

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Autores principales: Maria E. McNamara, Jonathan S. Kaye, Michael J. Benton, Patrick J. Orr, Valentina Rossi, Shosuke Ito, Kazumasa Wakamatsu
Formato: article
Lenguaje:EN
Publicado: Nature Portfolio 2018
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Acceso en línea:https://doaj.org/article/4bda4163549d45a794d3d4421c9c8dec
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Sumario:The colour of extinct animals has been inferred from fossilized melanosomes – organelles rich in melanin. Here, the authors show that internal melanosomes that do not contribute to colour are abundant in some extant vertebrates and may redistribute during fossilization, necessitating caution in interpreting fossil colour.