Page 58 - Dinosaur (DK Eyewitness Books)

Feathered dinosaurs

NȰȵ Ȣȭȭ ȥȪȯȰȴȢȶȳȴ ȩȢȥ ȴȤȢȭȺ ȴȬȪȯ—the skin of some was covered in down
or feathers. The first evidence came in 1861 when a German scientist described
Archaeopteryx, a primitive bird with wings, but a long, bony tail, clawed fingers,
and teeth like those of theropods. In 1996, Chinese paleontologists discovered
Sinosauropteryx, a small birdlike dinosaur with “dinofuzz”—a downy covering
on its body. Then came more exciting finds—theropods with showy feathers
and feathered arms that worked as wings for gliding, not flapping. The first
featherlike structures were downy and were probably used for keeping the body
warm. Feathers used for display and flight probably developed later. Early flying
theropods evolved into the expert aerobatic dinosaurs that we call modern birds. Feathered
head

Toothy jaw
Feathered
arm

FEATHERED OR NOT?
Scientists long suspected that
Velociraptor had a covering of
feathers because it belongs to
the maniraptorans—a group of
theropods that share many features with birds.
The theory was proved in 2007 when scientists
found small tell-tale bumps on a fossilized arm
bone of a Velociraptor. In birds, these bumps
anchor feathers to the bone. We can therefore be
sure that Velociraptor’s arms were feathered, too.
Feathered arm

Feathered
tail
Feathered
arm FUZZY RAPTOR
Traces of primitive feathers Fossilized
DINOBIRD fringe the bones of Fuzzy feathers
Turkey-sized Raptor, a dinosaur whose
Caudipteryx (“tail downy covering trapped body
feather”) had a short heat to keep it warm. Found
tail and feathers like a in 2001, this became the
bird, yet its teeth and first-known complete fossil of a Bony tail
bones resembled those of feathered dromaeosaurid. Fuzzy
other theropods. This birdlike Raptor’s identity is not certain. It
theropod could not fly, but males is probably the Early Cretaceous
probably showed off their colorful dromaeosaurid Sinornithosaurus
arm and tail feathers to attract a mate. (“Chinese bird lizard”).

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