Transverse aeolian ridges (TARs) are poorly understood bedforms unique to the surface of Mars. While a range TAR morphologies have been documented and described in the literature, there is confusion about some aspects of TAR formation and evolution. It is an open question as to whether different TAR morphologies represent disparate formative processes, or represent different evolutionary stages. Further, the relationship between the currently unclassified “feathered” TAR morphological form and other well-described morphologies is currently undocumented. Here, we apply geomorphometric techniques to TARs in Nirgal Vallis to show that more complex TAR morphologies evolve in multiple stages, and that feathered TARs are actually an intermediate morphology related to networked TARs. We identify feathered TARs as networked TARs precursors and propose that TAR-field complexity is the result of a progressive evolution from simpler TAR morphologies, rather than of multiple formative mechanisms.

横向风成脊（TARs）是火星表面独特的鲜为人知的地层。尽管文献中已记录并描述了一系列TAR形态，但有关TAR形成和演化的某些方面仍存在混淆。关于不同的TAR形态代表不同的形成过程还是代表不同的进化阶段，这是一个悬而未决的问题。此外，当前未分类的当前未分类的“羽化” TAR形态与其他描述良好的形态之间的关系。在这里，我们将几何形态学技术应用于Nirgal Vallis的TAR，以显示更复杂的TAR形态在多个阶段中演化，而羽毛状TAR实际上是与联网TAR相关的中间形态。