Tar and feathers

[David Marjanovic <david.marjanovic@gmx.at>]

· Nothing except bones is known of *Compsognathus*. If the Solnhofen 
specimen had type I/II feathers like *Sinosauropteryx*, they were likely 
not preserved because feathers are only preserved as impressions there_*_, 
and if there were any faint impressions in that specimen, then they are 
gone now because the specimen was _polished_ (for lithography). As I have 
lamented onlist repeatedly. 
· The Berlin specimen of *Archaeopteryx* still has impressions of contour 
feathers on both sides of the left lower leg. Get a photo and look. I do 
not understand why it was once claimed that *A.* lacked or could have 
lacked feathers except for remiges & rectrices. 
· It is very hard to see the impressions of the remiges & rectrices in the 
Eichstätt and Solnhofen specimens. Though there is no denial that they are 
there. 
· Would be cool if the spines of *Psittacosaurus* are homologous to 
feathers. If they are (hm... how could we test that...), then we can 
assume that every dinosaur which was not too big and lived in a not too 
hot climate had some fuzzy covering. 
· We know that adult *Carnotaurus* did not have feathers over most of 
their bodies. But, apart from unknown display structures, bird eyelashes 
are feathers, and eyelashes would likely be retained in a secondarily 
featherless animal. Which means I wish the paleoartists lots of fun and 
creativity. 
 
_*_ With the interesting exception of the isolated feather. 

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