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Ancient Feathers Found in Dinosaur Dropping Reshape Dinosaur Origins Timeline
Confirmed
In Short: Paleontologists in Montana have discovered remarkably preserved feathers of an ancient aquatic bird inside a fossilized dinosaur dropping, offering new insights into the evolution of feathers and the survival of certain birds after the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs.
Scientists in Montana have uncovered remarkably preserved feathers of an ancient aquatic bird inside a fossilized dinosaur dropping, providing a rare glimpse into the interactions between predators and prey 66 million years ago. According to Dr. Tyler Lyson, senior curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 'Bones tell us an enormous amount about these animals, but footprints capture a moment of behavior.
These feathers, identified as hesperornithiform, represent an evolutionary middle ground, with some resembling modern, waterproof feathers and others being smaller and more primitive. The discovery is significant as it is the first of its kind, offering new insights into the feather evolution of ancient birds. The specimen was from a large predatory dinosaur, possibly a Tyrannosaurus rex or a Nanotyrannus, as evidenced by the fossilized feather of a hesperornithiform bird exposed on the surface of the 66-million-year-old coprolite.
Other tyrannosaur trackways found in Canada and Wyoming were made by smaller animals, either younger Tyrannosaurus or related, smaller species. In contrast, paleontologists in North Dakota have unearthed a set of 66.5-million-year-old fossilized footprints that can be confidently attributed to a full-grown Tyrannosaurus rex. Based on the spacing between prints, the researchers estimated the animal was walking at about 1.5 to 2 meters per second, a pace consistent with other large theropod trackways.
The findings suggest that the evolution of feathers in ancient birds was more complex than previously thought, with some feathers resembling those of modern birds and others more primitive. This discovery could reshape our understanding of the timeline of dinosaur origins and the survival of certain bird species after the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
What's confirmed
- Scientists in Montana have uncovered remarkably preserved feathers of an ancient aquatic bird inside a fossilized dinosaur dropping, providing a rare glimpse into the interactions between predators and prey 66 million years ago. According to Dr. Tyler Lyson, senior curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, 'Bones tell us an enormous amount about these animals, but footprints capture a moment of behavior.
- These feathers, identified as hesperornithiform, represent an evolutionary middle ground, with some resembling modern, waterproof feathers and others being smaller and more primitive. The discovery is significant as it is the first of its kind, offering new insights into the feather evolution of ancient birds. The specimen was from a large predatory dinosaur, possibly a Tyrannosaurus rex or a Nanotyrannus, as evidenced by the fossilized feather of a hesperornithiform bird exposed on the surface of the 66-million-year-old coprolite.
- Other tyrannosaur trackways found in Canada and Wyoming were made by smaller animals, either younger Tyrannosaurus or related, smaller species. In contrast, paleontologists in North Dakota have unearthed a set of 66.5-million-year-old fossilized footprints that can be confidently attributed to a full-grown Tyrannosaurus rex. Based on the spacing between prints, the researchers estimated the animal was walking at about 1.5 to 2 meters per second, a pace consistent with other large theropod trackways.
- The findings suggest that the evolution of feathers in ancient birds was more complex than previously thought, with some feathers resembling those of modern birds and others more primitive. This discovery could reshape our understanding of the timeline of dinosaur origins and the survival of certain bird species after the asteroid strike that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
What's still developing
- While some dinosaurs are thought to have had ‘fuzzy’ or ‘downy’ feathers (shown in this illustration as the yellow spikes on a Nanotyrannus’ neck), ancient birds (such as the one in the Nanotyrannus’ mouth) were more likely to have had feathers that look similar to the birds of today.
- The site dates to about 66.5 million years ago (latest Cretaceous period), just before the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs.
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