Has any paleontological discovery of the 21st century been so transformative as the fact that dinosaurs were feathered?
Sure, biologists still have academically foundational arguments over the proper positions of various protoplasmic goos at the tree of life's trunk, but what shakes the trunk doesn't always sway the branches. Not like dinosaurs — the charismatic megafauna of our collective childhood imaginations, now with feathers.
The dinosaur history books have literally been redrawn, and among the artists is Matthew Martyniuk, author and illustrator of the Field Guide to Mesozoic Birds and Other Winged Dinosaurs. Inside, using the field guide format that's introduced so many people to nature, he introduces readers to dozens of dinosaurs that would, over millions of years, evolve into modern-day birds.
"I've always been interested in bird evolution. It seemed there were so many books illustrating prehistoric animals, but none focusing on bird origins," said Martyniuk. "A lot of their characteristics go pretty deep into what were traditionally considered dinosaurs, and are really making us rethink how they would have looked in real life."
On the following pages, Martyniuk takes Wired on a tour of his dino-bird world.
Above:Jinfengopteryx elegans
After its discovery in 2005, Jinfengopteryx was thought by some paleontologists to be the oldest bird of all, a forerunner of Archaeopteryx, the original first-bird title-holder. New studies suggest that's not the case, but it's still a fantastic creature.
The name translates to "elegant golden phoenix feather," and rightly so: Jinfengopteryx is among the most beautiful fossils in existence, and so well-preserved that the remains of its last meal can be seen in its stomach.
Coloration is a matter of some conjecture, but patterns in the fossil impressions do suggest an alternation between light and dark hues, Martyniuk said.