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Spectacular fossils from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Group (1,2) of northeastern China have greatly expanded our knowledge of the diversity and palaeobiology of dinosaurs and early birds, and contributed to our understanding of the origin of birds, of flight, and of feathers. Pennaceous (vaned) feathers and integumentary filaments are preserved in birds (3-5) and non-avian theropod dinosaurs (6-12), but little is known of their microstructure. Here we report that melanosomes (colour-bearing organelles) are not only preserved in the pennaceous feathers of early birds, but also in an identical manner in integumentary filaments of non-avian dinosaurs, thus refuting recent claims (13-16) that the filaments are partially decayed dermal collagen fibres. Examples of both eumelanosomes and phaeomelanosomes have been identified, and they are often preserved in life position within the structure of partially degraded feathers and filaments. Furthermore, the data here provide empirical evidence for reconstructing the colours and colour patterning of these extinct birds and theropod dinosaurs: for example, the dark-coloured stripes on the tail of the theropod dinosaur Sinosauropteryx can reasonably be inferred to have exhibited chestnut to reddish-brown tones., Ever since they were first announced (6,7), the 'feathered' dinosaurs from the lacustrine sediments of the Jehol Group (Early Cretaceous, 131-120 Myr ago (1)) of China have been controversial. Pennaceous [...]

Bone marrow in ca. 10 Ma frogs and salamanders from the Miocene of Libros, Spain, represents the first fossilized example of this extremely decay-prone tissue. The bone marrow, preserved in three dimensions as an organic residue, retains the original texture and red and yellow color of hematopoietic and fatty marrow, respectively; moldic osteoclasts and vascular structures are also present. We attribute exceptional preservation of the fossilized bone marrow to cryptic preservation: the bones of the amphibians formed protective microenvironments, and inhibited microbial infiltration. Specimens in which bone marrow is preserved vary in their completeness and articulation and in the extent to which the body outline is preserved as a thin film of organically preserved bacteria. Cryptic preservation of these labile tissues is thus to a large extent independent of, and cannot be predicted by, the taphonomic history of the remainder of the specimen. Keywords: taphonomy, organic preservation, bone marrow, Miocene, frogs, Spain.

A new type of sector zoning, with an hourglass shape, has been identified in metamorphic tourmalines that formed under a wide variety of physical and chemical conditions. The two sectors in the c-direction are not equivalent due to asymmetry in the crystal structure of tourmaline along the c-axis. The [c.sup.+] sector is characterized by low concentrations of Ti, Ca, Mg, and Na, although A1 is high, and has a pale (commonly blue or pale-green) color. Conversely, the [c.sup.-] sector is low in Mg and A1, and high in Ca, Fe, and Ti (the latter two causing the dark-brown color of this sector). The a-sector has intermediate characteristics and probably approximates a sector-free tourmaline. Thin sectioning of these sector-zoned tourmalines perpendicular to the c-axis can produce three types of apparent radial zoning patterns: blue-green cores, dark-brown cores, or no distinct cores. These apparent cores will further vary in relative diameter depending on the sectioning level. Furthermore, 'core' boundaries can be straight or ragged depending on whether the relative growth speeds for the different faces was constant or variable. These textures have been used to argue for a prograde or detrital origin of tourmaline cores. However, sector zoning is a more appealing explanation for most of these textures, and can further explain the textural resemblance among metamorphic tourmalines from highly variable bulk-rock composition, metamorphic history, and mineral paragenesis. The sector zoning that is described here develops by preferential uptake of elements on the r growth plane, resulting from a combined effect of differences in surface charge and morphology of this plane in the [c.sup.+] and [c.sup.-] directions. This leads to the preferential incorporation of more positively charged elements in the [c.sup.-] direction, and a preference for a vacant X-site in the [c.sup.+] direction. Because the compositional differences among the sectors are pronounced in both major and trace elements and in the same order of magnitude as growth zoning variability, the presence of sector zoning must be established and taken into account when making inferences from tourmaline chemistry. Keywords: Hourglass, sector zoning, tourmaline, metamorphic rocks, element fractionation

Electron-beam irradiation causes permanent damage to hydrous, silica-rich glasses. The extent of electron-beam damage is quantified using data generated by SIMS analysis of points subjected to previous electron microprobe analysis (EPMA). Even optimum EPMA conditions cause damage to the glass, manifest as a marked depletion in alkali ions at the surface of an irradiated sample. Deeper in the sample, an enrichment in alkali ions to above-baseline levels is followed by a decay back to baseline. The depth of the final decay correlates with species diffusivity and increases in the order K-Li-Na. H-bearing species are also affected by electron beam irradiation, but in the opposite sense to the alkalis, i.e., they are enriched at the surface. Migration of alkaline earth cations is not observed because of their low diffusivities. Ion depletion or enrichment results from simple migration of ions toward or away from electrons implanted by the beam. Migration depth depends on species diffusivity and heating caused by the electron beam, and therefore increases with increasing electron beam current. Because of the reverse behavior of H, the mobile hydrous species in the presence of an electric field is probably O[H.sup.-]. The extent of electron beam damage to glasses may increase with total water content. Critically, SIMS measurements of H, Li, Na, D/H, and [sup.6]Li/[sup.7]Li after electron-probe analysis are compromised by the damage. Despite the damage caused by the electron beam, use of appropriate electron-beam conditions (e.g., 2 nA, 15 kV) gives volatiles by difference accurate to ~0.6 wt%. Keywords: Electron-probe microanalysis, rhyolite glass, melt inclusions, secondary ion mass spectrometry, diffusion

Feathers are remarkable evolutionary innovations that are associated with complex adaptations of the skin in modern birds. Fossilised feathers in non-avian dinosaurs and basal birds provide insights into feather evolution, but how associated integumentary adaptations evolved is unclear. Here we report the discovery of fossil skin, preserved with remarkable nanoscale fidelity, in three non-avian maniraptoran dinosaurs and a basal bird from the Cretaceous Jehol biota (China). The skin comprises patches of desquamating epidermal corneocytes that preserve a cytoskeletal array of helically coiled α-keratin tonofibrils. This structure confirms that basal birds and non-avian dinosaurs shed small epidermal flakes as in modern mammals and birds, but structural differences imply that these Cretaceous taxa had lower body heat production than modern birds. Feathered epidermis acquired many, but not all, anatomically modern attributes close to the base of the Maniraptora by the Middle Jurassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]