Exceptional Preservation of Feather Micro-Structures in Amber from the Middle-Cretaceous of Myanmar

Feathers are under-represented in the fossil record because soft tissues do not usually preserve well sedimentary sequences. Fossil feathers nevertheless extremely important resolving pattern and process related to origin of dinosaur flight. In recent years, a number have been discovered which mummified amber; these preserved three dimensions with remarkable sub-microscopic details especially for our understanding early development feathers. this paper, we describe diverse assemblage mid-Cretaceous contained within seven pieces amber that recovered from northern Myanmar (Burma). These include pennaceous primary feathers, contour rachis-dominated also plumulaceous (downy) feather. Subcomponents such as barbs, barbules, nodes immediately recognizable. One extraordinary piece contains distal remains first four flight small possible hooklets. discussed terms evolutionary comments made on ability where appropriate. feather-types classified compared similar structures seen Mesozoic extant birds. We consider integumentary ‘feather-like’ fall two major structural categories (‘shafted’ ‘non-shafted’).