Fig 1.
(A) Full specimen. (B) Close up of right wing. Note the shortened tenth (outermost) primary.
Fig 2.
Comparing photographs taken under white light and laser fluorescence.
(A) Wing of IVPP V13156 under white light. Scale bar = 2 cm. (B) Right foot of IVPP V13156 under white light. Scale in mm. (C) Wing of IVPP V13156 under laser fluorescence. Scale bar = 2 cm. (D) Right foot of IVPP V13156 under laser fluorescence. Scale bar = 1 cm.
Fig 3.
Photographs of soft tissue under laser fluorescence from IVPP V13156.
(A) Wing showing propatagium. Scale bar = 5 mm. (B) Wing showing postpatagium. Scale bar = 5 mm. (C) Line drawing of a modern Gallus gallus wing showing outline of patagium in relation to the bones of the forelimb, dorsal view. (D) Line drawing of a modern Gallus gallus wing showing outline of patagium in relation to the bones of the forelimb, ventral view. (C) and (D) by Elizabeth Myers.
Fig 4.
Photographs of the feet of IVPP V13156 and IVPP V13168.
(A) Closeup of right foot, yellow longpass. Scale bar = 7 mm. Note the yellow-orange scales concentrated around the phalanx, not the joint (B) Left foot, yellow longpass. Scale bar = 7 mm (C) Close up of left foot, yellow longpass. Scale bar = 7 mm. Note the fleshy pad with scales indicated by the arrow. (D) IVPP V13168, yellow longpass. Scale bar = 5 mm (E) Close up of IVPP V13168, yellow longpass. Scale bar = 5 mm.
Fig 5.
Photographs of the primary rachises of Confucuisornis, IVPP V13156.
(A) Rachises under white light. (B) Rachises under laser fluorescence using an orange longpass filter. Scale = 1 cm.
Fig 6.
Comparison of the wing of Confuciusornis with the wings of modern birds.
(A) Confuciusornis, reconstruction, dorsal view. Grey-shaded region indicates areas where tertials would be located. (Osteological reconstruction by A. Muzquiz.) (B) Purple Martin (Progne subis), UMMZ 237246, dorsal view. (C) American Kestrel (Falco sparevis), UMMZ 233618, dorsal view. (D) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), UMMZ 236461, dorsal view. (E) Black-billed Magpie (Pica pica), UMMZ 235421, dorsal view.
Fig 7.
A spread-wing osteological specimen from the University of Michigan Natural History Museum.
Note the insertion points of the primary feathers on the major metacarpal and digit. P = Primary, S = Secondary, PC = Primary covert feather, SC = Secondary covert feather, PPT = Postpatagial tendon.
Fig 8.
Examples of modern bird foot morphology.
Photographs and line drawing of the feet of a passeriform (Sitta carolinensis), shorebird (Tringa flavipes), and ground-dwelling bird (Tympanuchus cupido) foot. (A) The foot of S. carolinensis, ventral view. This is an arboreal bird, and the large phalangeal pads are clearly defined. The smaller pads are the interphalangeal pads. (B) Line drawing of (A). PP = Phalangeal pad, IP = Interphalangeal pad. (C) Photograph of the foot Tringa flavipes, ventral view. Note that this is a water-marginal bird and the pads are much less clearly defined. (D) Line drawing of (C). (E) Photograph of the foot of Tympanuchus cupido, ventral view. (F) Line drawing of (E).