61 items (52 papers & 9 chapters in edited volume)
1409 citations; h-index 21)

2023

61. Pittman, M.* & Wang, Y.* Paleoecology of extinct species. BMC Ecology & Evolution, 23(1): 1-2 [Editorial; IF: 3.7; joint-corresponding author]

60.  Roy, A.*, Pittman, M.*, Kaye, T.G. & Saitta, E.T. Sediment-encased pressure–temperature maturation experiments elucidate the impact of diagenesis on melanin-based fossil color and its paleobiological implications. Paleobiology, 1-21 [IF: 2.7; joint-corresponding author]

59. Miller, C.V.*, Pittman, M.*, Wang, X.L., Zheng, X.T. & Bright, J.A.Quantitative investigation of pengornithid enantiornithine diet reveals macrocarnivorous ecology evolved in birds by Early Cretaceous.  iScience, 26(3): 106211 [IF: 6.1; joint-corresponding author; press release]

2022

58. Pittman, M.*, Kaye, T.G., Wang, X.L.*, Zheng, X.T., Dececchi, T.A. & Hartman, S.A. 2022. Preserved soft anatomy confirms shoulder-powered upstroke of early theropod flyers, reveals enhanced early pygostylian upstroke, and explains early sternum loss. PNAS, 119(47): e2205476119 [IF: 11.2; first and joint-corresponding author; press release]

57. Pittman, M.*, Bell, P.R., Miller, C.V., Enriquez, N.J., Wang, X.L.*, Zheng, X.T., Tsang, L.R., Tse, Y.T., Landes, M. & Kaye, T.G. 2022. Exceptional preservation and foot structure reveal ecological transitions and lifestyles of early theropod flyers. Nature Communications, 13(1): 7684 [IF: 12.1; first and joint-corresponding author; press release]

56. Pittman, M.*, Kaye, T.G., Campos, H.B. & Habib, M.B.* 2022. Quadrupedal water launch capability demonstrated in small late Jurassic pterosaurs. Scientific Reports, 12: 6540 [IF: 4.4; first and co-corresponding author; press release]

55. Pittman, M.*, Kaye, T.G.*, Graham, E. & Thorold, D. Laser-Stimulated Fluorescence in archaeology: non-destructive fluorescence imaging for museum and field settings. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 44: 103475 [first and joint-corresponding author; press release]

54. Miller, C.V.*, Pittman, M.*, Wang, X.L., Zheng, X.T. & Bright, J.A. Diet of Mesozoic toothed birds (Longipterygidae) inferred from quantitative analysis of extant avian diet proxies. BMC Biology, 20: 101 [IF: 7.4; joint-corresponding author; press release]

53. Bell, P.R.*, Hendrickx, C.*, Pittman, M.*, Kaye, T.G. & Mayr, G. The exquisitely preserved integument of Psittacosaurus and the scaly skin of ceratopsian dinosaurs. Communications Biology, 5: 809 [IF: 6.3; joint-corresponding author]

52. Bell, P.R.*, Hendrickx, C., Pittman, M.* & Kaye, T.G. 2022. Oldest preserved umbilical scar reveals dinosaurs had ‘belly buttons’. BMC Biology, 20: 132 [IF: 7.4; joint-corresponding author; press release]

51. Pittman, M.*, Enriquez, N.J.*, Bell, P.R., Kaye, T.G. & Upchurch, P. Newly detected skin data from historic sauropod Haestasaurus and review of sauropod skin morphology suggests Early Jurassic origin of skin papillae. Communications Biology, 5: 122 [IF: 6.3; joint-corresponding author; press release]

50. Hendrickx, C, Bell, P.R., Pittman, M., Milner, A.R.C., Cuesta, E., O’Connor, J., Loewen, M., Currie, P.J., Mateus, O., Kaye, T.G. & Delcourt, R. Morphology and distribution of scales, dermal ossifications, and other non-feather integumentary structures in non-avialan theropod dinosaurs. Biological Reviews, 97(3): 960-1004 [IF: 14.4]

2021

49. Barlow, L.A., Pittman, M., Butcher, A., Martill, D.M. & Kaye, T.G. Laser-Stimulated Fluorescence reveals unseen details in fossils from the Solnhofen Limestone (Upper Jurassic, Bavaria, Germany). Royal Society Open Science, 8(12): rsos.211601 [IF: 3.6]

48. Ma, W.S., Pittman, M., Richard J. Butler & Lautenschlager, S. Macroevolutionary trends in theropod dinosaur feeding mechanics. Current Biology, 32(3): P677-686.E3 [IF: 10.8]

47. Pittman, M.*, Barlow, L.A.*, Kaye, T.G. & Habib, M.B. Pterosaurs evolved advanced aerodynamic smoothing of the wing-body junction and sophisticated wing base control to improve flight performance. PNAS, 118 (44): e2107631118. [IF: 11.2; press release; joint-corresponding author; cover issue]

46. Miller, C.V.* & Pittman, M.* The diet of early birds based on modern and fossil evidence and a new framework for its reconstruction. Biological Reviews, accepted [IF: 14.4; joint-corresponding author; press release]

45.   Kaye, T.G., Pittman, M. Reply to: Reinterpretation of purported molting evidence in the Thermopolis Archaeopteryx. Communications Biology, 4: 839. [IF: 6.3; press release]

44. Meso, J.G., Qin, Z., Pittman, M., Canale, J.I., Salgado, L. & Díez Díaz., V. Tail anatomy of the alvarezsauria (Theropoda, Coelurosauria), and its functional and behavioural implications. Cretaceous Research, 124: 104830 [IF: 2.4]

43. Pittman, M.*, Habib, M.B., Dececchi, T.A., Larsson, H.C.E., Pei, R., Kaye, T.G., Norell, M.A., Brusatte, S.L. & Xu, X. Multiple origins of powered flight potential among pennaraptoran theropods. Current Biology, 31(8): R372-373 [IF: 10.8; first and corresponding author]

2020

42. Bi, S.D., Amiot, R., Peyre de Fabrègues, C., Pittman, M., Lamanna, M.C., Yu, Y.L., Yu, C.Y., Yang, T., Zhang, S.K., Zhao, Q. & Xu, X. An oviraptorid preserved atop an embryo-bearing egg clutch sheds light on the reproductive biology of non-avialan theropod dinosaurs. Science Bulletin, 66(9): 947-954 [IF: 11.8].

41. Kaye, T.G.*, Pittman, M.* & Wahl, W.R. The earliest record of pennaraptoran molting from Archaeopteryx and the origin of flight-related molting. Communications Biology, 3: 745 [IF: 6.3; press release; joint corresponding author]

40. Mayr, G., Kaye, T.G., Pittman, M., Saitta, E. & Pott, C. Reanalysis of putative ovarian follicles suggests that Early Cretaceous birds were feeding not breeding. Scientific Reports, 10: 19035 [IF: 4.4]

39. Yang, Z.X., Jiang, B.Y., McNamara, M.E., Kearns, S.L., Pittman, M., Kaye, T.G., Orr, P.J., Xu, X. & Benton, M.J. Reply to: No protofeathers on pterosaurs. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 4(12): 1592-1593. [IF: 12.5]

38. Miller, C.V.*, Pittman, M*., Kaye, T.G., Wang, X.L. & Zheng, X.T. Disassociated rhamphotheca of fossil bird Confuciusornis informs early beak reconstruction, stress regime, and developmental patterns. Communications Biology, 3: 159 [IF: 6.3; joint-corresponding author; press release]

37. Dececchi, T.A., Roy, A., Pittman, M., Kaye, T.G., Xu, X., Habib, M.B., Larsson, H.C.E., Wang, X.L. & Zheng, X.T. Aerodynamics show membrane-winged theropods were a poor gliding dead-end. iScience, 10157 [IF: 5.5; press release]

[Edited Volume] Pittman, M. & Xu, X. (editors) Pennaraptoran theropod dinosaurs: past progress & new frontiers. Bulletin of the AMNH, 353pp, accepted [49-author invited journal volume on feathered dinosaurs evolution; IF: 2.5; press release]. Author of introduction and 8 chapters (1, 2, 4, 8-11 & 13):

36. Pittman, M. & Xu, X. Introduction. 4-6

35. Pittman, M., O’Connor, J., Field, D.J., Turner, A.H., Ma, W.S., Makovicky, P. & Xu, X. Chapter 1. Pennaraptoran systematics. 7-36

34. Pittman, M., O’Connor, J., Tse, E., Makovicky, P., Field, D.J., Ma, W.S., Turner, A.H., Norell, M.A., Pei, R. & Xu, X. Chapter 2. The fossil record of Mesozoic and Paleocene pennaraptorans . 37-96

33. Ding, A., Pittman, M., Upchurch, P., O’Connor, J., Field, D.J. & Xu, X. Chapter 4. The biogeography of coelurosaurian theropods and its impact on their evolutionary history. 117-158

32. Ma, W.S., Pittman, M., Lautenschlager, S., Meade, L.E. & Xu, X. Chapter 8. Functional morphology of the oviraptorosaurian and scansoriopterygid skull. 229-250.

31. Roy, A., Rogers, C.S., Clements, T., Pittman, M., Habimana, O., Martin, P. & Vinther, J. Chapter 9. Fossil microbodies are melanosomes: evaluating and rejecting the ‘fossilised decay-associated microbes’ hypothesis. 251-276.

30. Pittman, M., Heers, A.M., Serrano, F.J., Field, D.J., Habib, M.B., Dececchi, T.A., Kaye, T.G. & Larsson, H.C.E. Chapter 10. Methods of studying early theropod flight. 277-294.

29. Dececchi, T.A., Larsson, H.C.E., Pittman, M. & Habib, M.B. Chapter 11. High flyer or high fashion? A comparison of flight potential among small-bodied paravians. 295-320.

28. Serrano, F.J., Pittman, M., Kaye, T.G., Wang, X.L., Zheng, X.T. & Chiappe, L.M. Chapter 13. Laser-stimulated fluorescence refines flight modeling of the Early Cretaceous bird Sapeornis. 333-344.

27. Pei, R.*, Pittman, M.*, Goloboff, P.A., Dececchi, T.A., Habib, M.B., Kaye, T.G., Larsson, H.C.E., Norell, M.A., Brusatte, S.L. & Xu, X. Combining phylogenetic, aerodynamic and anatomical data reveals gradual build-up of powered flight potential among close avian relatives. Current Biology, 30(2): 4033-4046.e8 [IF: 10.8; joint-first and corresponding author; press release; cover issue]

26. Kaye, T.G.* & Pittman, M*. Fluorescence-based detection of field targets using an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle system. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 11(8): 890-898  [IF: 7.8; joint-corresponding author; press release; cover issue]

25. Roy, A., Pittman, M., Saitta, E.T., Kaye, T.G. & Xu, X. Recent advances in amniote palaeocolour reconstruction and a framework for future research. Biological Reviews, 12552. [IF: 14.4; joint-corresponding author; press release]

2019

24. Kaye, T.G., Pittman, M., Marugán-Lobón, J., Martín-Abad, H., Sanz, J.L. & Buscalioni, A.D. Fully fledged enantiornithine hatchling revealed by Laser-Stimulated Fluorescence supports precocial nesting behavior. Scientific Reports, 9: 5006. [IF: 4.4; press release]

23. Kaye, T.G., Pittman, M., Mayr, G., Schwarz, D. & Xu, X. Detection of lost calamus challenges identity of isolated Archaeopteryx feather. Scientific Reports, 9: 1182. [IF: 4.4; press release]

2018

22. Goloboff, P.A., Pittman, M., Pol, D. & Xu, X. Morphological datasets fit a common mechanism much more poorly than DNA Sequences and call into question the Mkv Model. Systematic Biology, syy077. [IF: 8.5]

21. Yang, Z.X., Jiang, B.Y., McNamara, M.E., Kearns, S.L., Pittman, M., Kaye, T.G., Orr, P.J., Xu, X. & Benton, M.J.  Pterosaur integumentary structures with complex feather-like branching. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 3: 24-30. [IF: 12.5; press release]

20. Saitta, E.T., Fletcher, I., Martin, P., Pittman, M., Kaye, T.G., True, L.D., Norell, M.A., Abbott, G.D., Summons, R.E., Penkman, K.E.H. & Vinther, J. Preservation of fossil Shuvuuia deserti feather fibers raises concern about immunohistological experiments on fossils. Organic Geochemistry, 125: 142-151. [IF: 3.6]

2017

19. Pei, R., Norell, M.A., Barta, D., Bever, G., Pittman, M. & Xu, X. Osteology of a new Late Cretaceous troodontid specimen from Ukhaa Tolgod, Ömnögovi Aimag, Mongolia. American Museum Novitates, 3889: 1-47. [IF: 0.87; former postdoctoral fellow]

18. Ma, W.S., Wang, J.Y., Pittman, M., Tan, Q.W., Tan, L., Guo, B. & Xu, X. Functional anatomy of a giant toothless mandible from a bird-like dinosaur: Gigantoraptor and the evolution of the oviraptorosaurian jaw. Scientific Reports, 17: 15709 [IF: 4.4; co-supervised PhD student]

17. Xu, X.*, Currie, P.*, Pittman, M.*, Xing, L.D., Meng, Q.J., Lü, J.C., Dong, H.Y. & Yu, C.Y. Mosaic evolution in an asymmetrically feathered troodontid dinosaur with transitional features. Nature Communications, 8: 14972. [IF: 12.1; *joint first-author; press release]

16. Wang, X.L.*, Pittman, M.*, Zheng, X.T., Kaye, T., Falk, A., Hartman, S. & Xu, X. Basal paravian functional anatomy illuminated by high-detail body outline. Nature Communications, 8: 14576 [IF: 12.1; *joint first-author and corresponding author; press release]

2016   

15. Vinther, J., Nicholls, R., Lautenschlager, S., Pittman, M., Kaye, T.G., Rayfield, E., Mayr, G., Cuthill, I.C. 3D camouflage in an ornithischian dinosaur. Current Biology, 26(18): 2456-2462. [IF: 10.8; press release]

14. Mayr, G., Pittman, M., Saitta, E., Kaye, T.G. & Vinther, J. Structure and homology of Psittacosaurus tail bristles. Palaeontology, 59(6): 793-802. [IF: 4.0; press release]

13. Li, F., Bi, S.D., Pittman, M., Brusatte, S.L. & Xu, X. A new tyrannosaurine specimen (Theropoda: Tyrannosauroidea) with insect borings from the Upper Cretaceous Honglishan Formation of Northwestern China. Cretaceous Research, 66: 155-162. [IF: 2.2]

2015

12. Pittman, M., Pei, R. & Xu, X. The first dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Early Cretaceous Bayan Gobi Formation of Nei Mongol, China. PeerJ, 3: e1480. [IF: 3.0; former postdoctoral fellow]

11. Kaye, T.G., Falk, A.R., Pittman, M., Sereno, P.C., Martin, L.D., Burnham, D.A., Gong, E.P., Xu, X. & Wang, Y.N. Laser stimulated fluorescence in paleontology. PLOS ONE, 10(5): e0125923. [IF: 3.2; press release]

10. Pittman, M., Xu, X. & Stiegler, J. The taxonomy of a new parvicursorine alvarezsauroid specimen (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous Wulansuhai Formation of Bayan Mandahu, Inner Mongolia, China. PeerJ, 3: e986. [IF: 3.0]

9. Tse, T.K., Pittman, M. & Chang, M.M. A specimen of Paralycoptera Chang & Chou 1977 (Teleostei: Osteoglossoidei) from Hong Kong (China) with a potential Late Jurassic age that extends the temporal and geographical range of the genus. PeerJ, 3: e865. [IF: 3.0; press release; supervisee-led paper]

8. Xu, X., Pittman, M., Sullivan, C., Choiniere, J.N., Tan, Q.W., Clark, J.M., Norell, M.A & Wang, S. The taxonomic status of the Late Cretaceous dromaeosaurid Linheraptor exquisitus and its implications for dromaeosaurid systematics. Vertebrata PalAsiatica, 53(1): 29-62.

2014

7. Teng, F.F., Lu, J.C., Wei, X.F., Hsiao, W.F. & Pittman, M. New Material of Zhenyuanopterus (Pterosauria) from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Western Liaoning. Acta Geologica Sinica, 88(1): 1-5.  [IF: 3.3; cover article]

2013

6. Pittman, M., Gatesy, S.M., Upchurch, P., Goswami, A. & Hutchinson, J.R. Shake a tail feather: the evolution of the theropod tail into a stiff aerodynamic surface. PLOS ONE, 8: e63115. [IF: 3.2; press release]

5. Xu, X., Upchurch, P., Ma, Q., Pittman, M., Choiniere, J., Sullivan, C., Hone, D.W.E., Tan, Q., Tan, L., Xiao, D. & Han, F. Osteology of the alvarezsauroid Linhenykus monodactylus from the Upper Cretaceous Wulansuhai Formation of Inner Mongolia, China, and comments on alvarezsauroid biogeography. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 58: 25-46. [IF: 2.1]

2011 

4. Xu, X., Sullivan, C., Pittman, M., Choiniere, J., Hone, D.W.E., Upchurch, P., Tan, Q.Q., Xiao, D. & Tan, L. Reply to Dyke and Naish: European alvarezsauroids do not change the picture. PNAS, 10.1073/pnas.1104155108. [IF: 11.2]

3. Xu, X., Sullivan, C., Pittman, M., Choiniere, J., Hone, D.W.E., Upchurch, P., Tan, Q.Q., Xiao, D. & Tan, L. A monodactyl non-avian dinosaur and the complex evolution of alvarezsauroid hand. PNAS, 108(6): 2338-2342. [IF: 11.2; press release]

2010

2. Xu, X., Choiniere, J.N. Pittman, M., Tan, Q.W. Xiao, D., Li, Z.Q. Tan, L., Clark, J.M., Norell, M.A, Hone, D.W.E. & Sullivan, C. A new dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous Wulansuhai Formation of Inner Mongolia, China. Zootaxa, 2403: 1-9. [IF: 1.0; press release]

1. Hone, D.W.E., Choiniere, J.N., Xu, X., Sullivan, C. & Pittman, M. New evidence for a trophic relationship between the dinosaurs Velociraptor and Protoceratops. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 291: 488-492. [IF: 2.8]

Back to top