Scientists identify ginger feathered dinosaur
Scientists have, for the first time, been able to identify the colour of feathers on a dinosaur… and it was ginger. Palaeontologists from the University of Bristol say the Sinosauropteryx - a fast running, dog-sized meat-eater which lived 125m years ago was a redhead.
Analysing microscopic structures found in fossilsed feathers, boffins say they are sure the 'ginger-saurous' was covered with 'russet and orange' feathers.
This is the first time melanosomes have been found in fossils and not only helps us know what dinos looked like, but also suggests birds evolved through a long line of theropod (flesh-eating) dinosaurs.
It also begs the question of whether people would be as quick to mock a redhead if they were a meat-eating dinosaur.
Professor Mike Benton said" “Our research provides extraordinary insights into the origin of feathers. "In particular, it helps to resolve a long-standing debate about the original function of feathers – whether they were used for flight, insulation, or display.
"We now know that feathers came before wings, so feathers did not originate as flight structures.
"We therefore suggest that feathers first arose as agents for colour display and only later in their evolutionary history did they become useful for flight and insulation."
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University of Bristol
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