Dinosaur feathers found preserved in amber

University of Alberta paleontologist have found protofeathers beautifully preserved in amber. They are so well preserved that they can even tell the color, namely deep brown, dark gray, or black.

Here's what the protofeathers look like:

The primitive, hair-like feathers known as protofeathers likely belonged to theropods — dinosaurs similar to tiny Tyrannosaurus rexes — that roamed the swampy forests of Alberta 80 million years ago, said Alexander P. Wolfe, a University of Alberta earth sciences professor who co-authored the research published Thursday in Science.

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The feathers appear to resemble the protofeathers found in Chinese fossils like those of a Raptor, also a therapod, below:




Some paleontologists are saying the protofeathers may have been used to keep the animals warm. This could prove feathers evolved first for protection and flight evolved later.

Others disagree, saying that they:

noticed that some of the feathers resemble those found on modern birds, complete with barbs sporting tiny Velcro-like hooks that lock onto adjacent barbs to create a sturdy flight surface. Some of these fragments likely came from a flight-capable bird.

The most famous bird fossil is almost twice as old:

The oldest bird, Archaeopteryx, lived in what is now Germany about 150 million years ago, and the oldest known feathered dinosaur, Anchiornis huxleyi, lived in northeastern China between 151 million and 161 million years ago.

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This leads others to believe that animals with protofeathers may be "something completely new".

Regardless, to me it looks like that not all dinosaurs died out, but some live on today as birds. Ostriches is one bird that comes to mind as being dinosaur-like. Fortunately for us, there are no pigeons 30 feet tall still running around.

Maybe not pigeons but we have the Cassowary, just as scary, up to 2m tall. Up close (in a nature park with fences) I wouldn't want to run into one in the wild!

A cassowary's three-toed feet have sharp claws. The second toe, the inner one in the medial position, sports a dagger-like claw that is 125 millimetres (5 in) long.[6] This claw is particularly fearsome since cassowaries sometimes kick humans and animals with their enormously powerful legs (see Cassowary Attacks, below). Cassowaries can run up to 50 km/h (31 mph) through the dense forest. They can jump up to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft)[citation needed]and they are good swimmers, crossing wide rivers and swimming in the sea as well.[7]

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en.wikipedia.org...




Nice thread

So Jurassic Park is scientifically possible after all? Well looks like Crichton is right

you best 'search' the Archaeopteryx,because i recently read a article about this 'bird'/'dinosaur' which discredited the current hypothesis & thinking about the creature,,,



whats interesting is that these protofeathers were thought to be non-descript grey or black in color...
'so why the hell did they develop...if the feathers were only insulation in an already Hot & Tropical climate all over the globe==== the dots do not connect, imho

love new dino finds protofeathers are distingishable by the fact that they dont apear to be used for flying or warmth yet its in transition and hasnt made up its mind

reply to post by Nicolas Flamel



That's amazing. Thanks for the pic. too cool.
I just finished reading a national geographic story on Dino feathers last week and thought it was all theory but this proves it.

reply to post by St Udio


Some dinosaurs lived in the Arctic and having warming feathers would have helped them.

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I don't think there's any doubt left that these animals were warm blooded and active.

Originally posted by obzerver
love new dino finds protofeathers are distingishable by the fact that they dont apear to be used for flying or warmth yet its in transition and hasnt made up its mind

edit on 15-9-2011 by obzerver because: (no reason given)

Absolutely, evolution tries many variations. Some work out, some don't.

Here's one design where the animal had four wings:



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LETS GET THEIR DNA AND CLONE THEM

What an amazing find!!!! Beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing this!!

reply to post by St Udio


That is the magic question! I wonder if they were for cooling the animal down? I am just speculating since this is not in my pay grade!!!

I live in lethbridge, a short drive from where these were found. Actually, southern Alberta is virtually littered with all sorts of dinosaur goodies, from the badlands of Drumheller to the oldman river formations to the milk river. As far as I understand, the amber with the feathers is now here in Lethbridge at the U of L. I will look into that tomorrow and see if I can check them out in person.

reply to post by bronco73


See if they let you take some pictures. (I resisted the urge to say pics or it didn't happen).

Originally posted by Nicolas Flamel
reply to post by bronco73

 

See if they let you take some pictures. (I resisted the urge to say pics or it didn't happen).

lol, I did say I would TRY

it takes one look into an ostrich's eyes to know that thing used to be a raptor.

dont ever mess with an ostrich




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Originally posted by St Udio
whats interesting is that these protofeathers were thought to be non-descript grey or black in color...
'so why the hell did they develop...if the feathers were only insulation in an already Hot & Tropical climate all over the globe==== the dots do not connect, imho

There are many reasons for why feathers could have developed, and there may be many reasons that why it did - different evolutionary avenues could add new features to feathers until they became the very complex and multi-useful things they are today.

Purely for sexual display? For warmth? Not every inch of the Earth was hot, there were inevitably cooler climates towards the poles (even if not quite as cold as now) and if any dinos were pushing that way due to other pressures (food, no doubt), then developing feathers would have helped.

Flight almost certainly came later, as that's a huge jump, though I suppose its possible a dino that was already flying or at least gliding might have started to develop feathers to improve that. But it seems to me that simpler feathers that eventually gained features to help in flight (more rigidity, "velcro" locking) makes more logical sense.

Originally posted by AnotherYOU
it takes one look into an ostrich's eyes to know that thing used to be a raptor.

dont ever mess with an ostrich

 

Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

 

A friend of mine ran an ostrich farm up here, you could walk among the young ones and the females and they would crowd around us. It was quite scary really. Even when they are young they are over 7 feet tall, and they peck at your clothes and things. Anyways, the full grown males are the ones that you never mess with, they will literally tear you apart. They have to keep them bad boys separated. Really good tasting meat though, tastes just like a new york steak only sweeter.

I don't like chicken. The only reason I ever give is because it tastes like dinosaur meat.

We now know Dinosaurs had feathers.

It has been shown that chickens share common DNA with that of the T-Rex.

We all know evolution played a roll in shaping life on earth.

We know that creatures were so big back then because the Earths gravity was lower.

Lately I have been wondering if Dinosaurs did actually die out and become extinct, or, did they evolve, become smaller and become the birds that we know today.

Probably not, but it does get the mind thinking.

Originally posted by existenz99
I don't like chicken. The only reason I ever give is because it tastes like dinosaur meat.

tastes like chicken, smells like dinosaur,


thanks for posting pic's, awsome post