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Transformation of β-sheets into disordered structures during the fossilization of feathers

Nature Ecology & Evolution volume 8, pages 1233–1235 (2024)Cite this article

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Matters Arising to this article was published on 12 June 2024

The Original Article was published on 21 September 2023

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arising from: T. S. Slater et al. Nature Ecology & Evolution https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02177-8 (2023)

Slater et al.1 analysed the chemical composition of untreated and experimentally degraded feathers from extant birds and fossils. The authors concluded that the dominant β-sheet structure of corneous β-proteins progressively undergoes alteration to α-helices with increasing temperature and suggested that (α-)keratins and α-helices in fossil feathers are probably artefacts of fossilization. However, we contend that the infrared data they presented could alternatively support the transformation of the β-sheet structure into disordered structures rather than α-helices. Moreover, we posit that their interpretation of the infrared data for fossil feathers from the Cretaceous overlooks the potential contributions of eumelanin residues.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41902013) and Yunnan Science & Technology Champion Project (202305AB350006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Earth System Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, China

    Tao Zhao

  2. State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Centre for Research and Education on Biological Evolution and Environment, Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China

    Yanhong Pan

Authors
  1. Tao Zhao
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  2. Yanhong Pan
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Contributions

T.Z. and Y.P. proposed the idea. T.Z. analysed the data and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. T.Z. and Y.P. finalized the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Tao Zhao.

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Nature Ecology & Evolution thanks Evan Saitta for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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Zhao, T., Pan, Y. Transformation of β-sheets into disordered structures during the fossilization of feathers. Nat Ecol Evol 8, 1233–1235 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-024-02432-6

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