Caihong

The “Iridescent Necklace” Proven by Melanosomes

The most defining feature of Caihong is its beautiful feathers, which are also the inspiration for its name.

Lustrous Feathers With “Structural Color”

As a result of analyzing “melanosomes”—the pigment-producing organelles preserved in the fossil—it was revealed that while the majority of its body was black, the feathers around its neck and chest possessed a lustrous “structural color.”
This means it had colorful feathers that appeared to shine in iridescent, rainbow hues depending on the angle of the light.

Appealing to Mates (Visual Display)

It is believed that dinosaurs of that era possessed excellent color vision, much like modern birds.
It is speculated that this iridescent necklace was used to show off to peers or as a visual display to attract mates.

An “Arboreal Glider” Soaring on Four Wings

Like Microraptor and some other feathered dinosaurs, Caihong had a total of four wings on its forelimbs and hindlimbs.

It is almost certain that they lived an arboreal lifestyle, using the sharp claws on their limbs to climb trees before spreading their four wings to glide from branch to branch.

Although direct stomach contents have not been found, pellets (regurgitated indigestible material) containing fish and lizard bones have been discovered in the fossils of its close relative, the feathered dinosaur Anchiornis.
Based on this, it is highly likely that Caihong similarly preyed upon small reptiles, fish, and insects.

Too Close to Birds? The Taxonomic Debate Unraveling Evolution

Phylogenetically, it is widely considered certain that Caihong is a “relative of Troodon.” However, because it is so incredibly closely related to birds, opinions vary widely among researchers regarding its precise classification.

• The idea that it should be included in the family Archaeopterygidae (alongside Archaeopteryx).
• The theory that it should be classified into a newly established family called “Anchiornithidae,” which groups together troodontids closely related to Archaeopteryx.

As this debate continues, Caihong stands as an incredibly important key to unlocking the evolutionary process from dinosaurs to birds.

In the forests of Late Jurassic China, Caihong, with its small duck-sized body, glided seamlessly from tree to tree.
Its neck feathers, shining in iridescent rainbow hues depending on the light, teach us that dinosaurs were far more colorful than we typically imagine and actively engaged in visual communication.