Response to comments by G. Mayr to my paper “Dinosaur protofeathers: pushing back the origin of feathers into the Middle Triassic?”

摘要

Primordial stages in feather evolution including an allegedly new type of protofeather (Xu et al. 2009) as reportedly identified in the Chinese dinosaurs were questioned (Lingham-Soliar in J Ornithol 2009) on identifications based on poor scientific methodology, errors and tautological rationalizations in critical issues. Criticisms were also directed at certain findings by Mayr et al. (2002) on integumental structures in the tail of a psittacosaur dinosaur from the early Cretaceous of China. Important allegations concerning a possible keratinous chemistry of the integumental structures and presence of a hollow lumen at their centre were considered poorly supported and consequently unsound. Mayr (2009) responded by questioning some of my remarks. Here, I respond to his comments.