Field of Science

Les is More



The avialan theropod previously referred to here as "Les" has now made its official, honest-to-goodness debut in the latest issue of Nature, and I can now reveal the proper name for Les - Epidexipteryx hui (the genus name means "display feather" and refers to the fact that the feathers preserved for Epidexipteryx appear to have been used for display rather than flight). It's a pretty fossil, but Nature has pulled its usual frustrating trick of giving us just enough information to whet the appetite, and leaving us howling frustratedly for more information...

Reconstruction of Epidexipteryx hui above taken from The Loom.

2 comments:

  1. I saw that in the media today - and thought - "that looks familiar" - thanks to your blog.
    Cheers
    Denis

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm gonna need that paper, Chris. :-)

    ReplyDelete

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