It was a busy year and the
Tumblr suffered for it, but, considering that I didn't end up blogging significantly less than I did last year, I'm reasonably satisfied with what I did on here.
Jurassic World came out this year, causing much discussion in the paleontological community. I have nothing to add about the film that has not already been said, but its release did give me the prompt to finish up another
story arc for the comic. My travel destinations this year included
New York,
Osaka, and
Dallas, the last of which hosted the first
SVP conference I've attended. Additionally, I indulged in some frivolous nonsense, including a
Twitter meme and the obligatory
April Fools' post.
 |
| Cover image for the "Triassic Park" storyline. |
Though not directly related to the blog, the unexpected stardom of my
Cartoon Guide to Vertebrate Evolution, which I drew this past summer, is worth a mention. It is by far my most popular work on DeviantArt (in terms of number of favorites and comments), has been made available on
merchandise by popular request, earned me interviews with
Terp Magazine and the
National Center of Science Education, and has reportedly been used in presentations at academic conferences. Wow.
 |
| The Cartoon Guide to Vertebrate Evolution. |
Onward to new maniraptor discoveries of the past year. In January, newborn chickens were found to
mentally map numbers the same way humans do. New material of
Caenagnathus and
Elmisaurus was described.
Linheraptor was
argued to represent a separate taxon from
Tsaagaan. New studies came out on
emberizoid phylogeny and
seed dispersal by emus. Newly-named maniraptors included the Eocene trogon-like avialan
Foshanornis songi and the enantiornithine
Houornis caudatus (formerly a species of
Cathayornis).
 |
| Chicks trained to circumnavigate panels displaying a target number of identical elements (A), showing a preference for the left panel when navigating past numbers smaller than the target number (B) and for the right panel when navigating past numbers larger than the target number (C), from Rugani et al., 2015. |
In February,
altruistic behavior among northern bald ibises flying in V-formation was reported. The
genomes of Darwin's finches were sequenced.
Caenagnathasia was reported
from the Iren Dabasu Formation for the first time. Male peafowl were discovered to use
infrasonic signals during courtship. A
trade-off was found between sexual attractiveness and parental effort among male grassquits. The
postcranial anatomy of
Gansus was described. New studies came out on the phylogeny of
Todiramphus kingfishers and
harriers, the
body mass of Mesozoic avialans, the
barb geometry of asymmetric feathers in Mesozoic paravians, the
loss of taste in penguins, the
mechanics of avian feet during perching and grasping, the
craniocervical myology of
Falcarius and
Nothronychus, and the
evolution of gastralia and sterna in paravians. Newly-named maniraptors included the Miocene heron
Nyctisoma robusta.
 |
| Male Indian peafowl displaying, photographed by Nihal Jabin, licensed. |
In March, purportedly distinct redpoll species were found to have
largely undifferentiated genomes. The blue-bearded helmetcrest, once thought extinct, was
rediscovered alive. Natural selection and sexual selection were discovered to operate on
different axes of variation in avian plumage color. New studies came out on the
origin of crown passerines and the
phylogenetic position of the mandanga and the São Tomé shorttail. Newly-named maniraptors included the enantiornithines
Dunhuangia cuii and
Yuanjiawaornis viriosus, the Cretaceous euornithine
Juehuaornis zhangi, the phorusrhacid
Llallawavis scagliai, and the
Perijá tapaculo (Scytalopus perijanus).
 |
| Phylogeny of motacillids showing the mandanga and the São Tomé shorttail as members of the clade, from Alström et al., 2015. |
In April, new
ecological information for the black tinamou was reported. A
new specimen of
Longipteryx was described.
Transoceanic migration in blackpoll warblers was documented. New studies came out on the
size of the gastral basket in Mesozoic paravians and the
ontogeny of
Deinonychus. Newly-named maniraptors included the scansoriopterygid
Yi qi, which preserved evidence of membranous wings, a contender for the most unexpected dinosaur discovery of at least the past decade.
 |
| Holotype of Yi qi, from Xu et al., 2015. |
In May, evidence of
nest site fidelity in troodonts was described.
Contagious yawning in budgerigars was reported. The trace fossil
Wupus agilis was
argued to represent a large avian footprint. New studies came out on the
function of the alula in flight, the development of the avian
snout and
hallux, the
phylogeny of hesperornithines, the
evolution of sexual dimorphism in wood warblers,
differences in exploration behavior of carrion crows and common ravens, and the
safekeeping of tools by New Caledonian crows. Newly-named maniraptors included the dromaeosaurid
Saurornitholestes sullivani, the Cretaceous euornithine
Archaeornithura meemannae, and the
Sichuan bush warbler (Locustella chengi).
 |
| Chicken experimentally induced to develop snout morphology similar to the ancestral amniote condition, compared to a typical chicken ("control") and an alligator, from Bhullar et al., 2015. |
In June, the
osteology of
Nothronychus was described in detail.
Rapid head rotation was found to help lovebirds maneuver quickly.
Correlation was found between avian altriciality and toe orientation. The
pelvic limb musculature of the ostrich was modeled. New specimens of
Masillapodargus and
Tonsala were described. Brown thornbills were discovered to
mimic a chorus of alarm calls to dissuade nest predators. An egg once thought to belong to a ceratopsian was
reevaluated as an enantiornithine egg. Several purported stem parrots were
reconsidered and found to have been stem passerines. New studies came out on the
phylogenetic position of
Balaur, the
bone histology of
Aepyornis,
convergence in feather crests of domestic doves, the
evolution of sternal ossification in ornithothoracines,
ontogenetic shape change in the chicken brain, and
mimicry in female cuckoo finches. Newly-named maniraptors included the enantiornithines
Cratoavis cearensis,
Holbotia ponomarenkoi (a longtime
nomen nudum), and
Parapengornis eurycaudatus.
 |
| Brown thornbill, photographed by J.J. Harrison, licensed. |
In July, roosters were found to
crow in sequence based on their social rank. The
genome of the North Island brown kiwi was sequenced. The helmeted woodpecker, once thought to belong to
Dryocopus, was
found to be a species of
Celeus. Newly-named maniraptors included the oviraptorosaur
Huanansaurus ganzhouensis, the dromaeosaurid
Zhenyuanlong suni, and the Miocene condor
Kuntur cardenasi.
 |
| Holotype of Zhenyuanlong suni, from Lü and Brusatte, 2015. |
In August, hummingbird tongues were reported to
function as micropumps. Canaries were discovered to be flexible in the
timing of learning songs. Blue-footed boobies were found to use
behaviorally-induced camouflage to hide their eggs. New studies came out on
chemical defense in common cuckoo chicks,
opisthotonic head displacement in chickens, the
endocranial anatomy of Eocene stem penguins, the
ultrastructure of
Anchiornis feathers (supporting identification of preserved microbodies in the fossil feathers as melanosomes), the
diversification of avians across the K-Pg boundary, and
inference by exclusion in Goffin's cockatoos. Newly-named maniraptors included the enantiornithine
Pterygornis dapingfangensis.
 |
| Amazilia hummingbird tongue filling with (dyed) nectar, from Rico-Guevara et al., 2015. |
In September, king penguins were found to be able to
distinguish odors of conspecifics. Zebra finches were discovered to
pick mates based on behavioral compatibility. Black-chinned hummingbirds were reported to
nest in association with
Accipiter hawks to increase breeding success. Mated pairs of southern rockhopper penguins were found to
winter in separate locations. Brown-headed cowbirds were shown to
select hosts in response to reproductive success. American crows were discovered to
gather around dead conspecifics as a means of learning about danger. New studies came out on
bone histology of penguins, the
emergence of social rank in monk parakeets, and the
function of colored beak spots in king penguins. Newly-named maniraptors included the Pleistocene barn owl
Tyto cravesae and the flightless Pleistocene duck
Shiriyanetta hasegawai.
 |
| Southern rockhopper penguin, photographed by Stan Shebs, licensed. |
In October, a well-preserved
enantiornithine wing was described. Recent advances in research on bird origins was
reviewed.
Kleptoparasitism in gentoo penguins was reported. New studies came out on
cooperation in common ravens, the evolution of
body mass in pan-alcids and
wing shape in avians, the
phylogeny of neornithines, the
morphology of penguin feathers, and the
relationship between skeletal and total body mass in birds. Newly-named maniraptors included the Miocene shorebird
Hakawai melvillei and the large dromaeosaurid
Dakotaraptor steini.
 |
| Phylogeny of neornithines, from Prum et al., 2015. |
In November, a
supergene was found to be responsible for divergent male morphs in ruffs. Blue-capped cordon bleus were reported to use a
tap-dancing courtship display. Pigeons were discovered to
assume leadership based on speed. Zebra finches were observed
negotiating vocally over parental care.
Cerebavis was
reevaluated and found to be a euornithine. New studies came out on the
function of hindlimb feathers in Mesozoic paravians, the
evolution of avian brain modularity, the
hindlimb myology of moa, the
social network dynamics of New Caledonian crows, and the
foraging behavior of great tits. Newly-named maniraptors included the hesperornithine
Fumicollis hoffmani, the plotopterid
Stemec suntokum, and
Paragallinula, a new genus for the lesser moorhen.
 |
| Male ruffs in breeding plumage, photographed by Arjan Haverkamp, licensed. |
In December,
spontaneous tool use in greater vasa parrots was reported.
Asymmetric limb control during bipedal locomotion in guineafowl was described. New studies came out on
heat dissipation in calliope hummingbirds,
locomotion in large ground birds,
hook tool use in New Caledonian crows,
cervical pneumatization in ostriches,
structural color in Eurasian jay feathers, and the
diversification of neornithines. Newly-named maniraptors included the
possible dromaeosaurid
Boreonykus certekorum, the enantiornithines
Feitianius paradisi and
Chiappeavis magnapremaxillo, the Eocene possible suliform
Mangystania humilicristata, and the extinct Holocene rails
Rallus adolfocaesaris, Rallus carvaoensis, Rallus lowei, "Rallus minutus" (preoccupied), and Rallus montivagorum.
 |
| Greater vasa parrot, photographed by AEM, licensed. |
