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A reconstruction by Xing Li Da shows a newly described ornithischian, Tianyulong confuciusi, with feathers. Courtesy of Zheng Xiao Ting and Xing Li Da .
Well, it was bound to happen someday. Rumors of feathers among dinosaur groups other than theropods (meat-eaters like T .rex) have circulated now for some years. But here, with the announcement of feather-like structures on an ornithischian dinosaur in Nature, we have it not as rumor, but as a peer-reviewed report.
I have just returned from several weeks in China and was able to view the fossil of this animal first hand. I was, frankly, a bit mind-boggled by what I saw. I am no expert on these things, but the structures were quite similar to the filamentous structures that we have seen on other dinosaurs, such as Beipiaosaurus and Dilong. Fortunately, there is not just one fossil of this new animal, but several, and they are all beautifully preserved.
In my view, we are at a point where we need to challenge our own preconceptions about dinosaur appearance, behavior, and metabolism. Feathers may have been much more widespread among dinosaur groups. They may have played a much bigger role in display, camouflage, and species recognition. And they may have had a function regarding metabolism beyond insulation. This new discovery demonstrates how the fossil record provides us with an incomplete view of past life. I suspect that in five years we will have a quite different view of dinosaurs than we have today.
There has been a bit of skepticism about these newly reported feathers. What do you think? Feathers or not?
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Comments
Mar 25, 2009 10PM #
Recombinatorics implies that evolutionary traits that protect species from climate changes in various ways (i.e., feathers) promote survival instincts.
There is reason to believe planet Earth will endure only one more major Ice Age. All that remains of the continental ice sheets are the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. As Earth Day '09 approaches, perhaps humanity can reflect on its drive for empathy/mercy.
Mar 25, 2009 10PM #
Why the surprise that dinosaurs had feathers? Their bone structures are analogous to birds, but for decades scholars have "skinned" them like reptiles.
A colorful, feathery T. Rex would be a mighty sight, indeed! Are National Geographic artists up to the task?
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