Fossilized melanosomes and the colour of Cretaceous dinosaurs and birds

Fucheng Zhang, Stuart L. Kearns, Patrick J. Orr, Michael J. Benton (), Zhonghe Zhou (), Diane Johnson, Xing Xu and Xiaolin Wang
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Fucheng Zhang: Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 643, Beijing 100044, China
Stuart L. Kearns: University of Bristol
Patrick J. Orr: UCD School of Geological Sciences, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
Michael J. Benton: University of Bristol
Zhonghe Zhou: Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 643, Beijing 100044, China
Diane Johnson: Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
Xing Xu: Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 643, Beijing 100044, China
Xiaolin Wang: Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 643, Beijing 100044, China

Nature, 2010, vol. 463, issue 7284, 1075-1078

Abstract: Ginger group dinosaurs A series of striking 'feathered dinosaur' fossil discoveries from the Cretaceous Jehol Group sediments of China has revolutionized thinking about the evolution and diversity of dinosaurs and early birds. But it has been suggested that some of the structures that are not obviously feathers might actually be strands of collagen from under the skin. Zhang et al. refute this notion by demonstrating the presence in these structures of melanosomes — the characteristic bodies that give feathers their colours. Not only do they show that the feather-like structures of dinosaurs such as Sinosauropteryx really are akin to feathers, but also they can speculate in an informed way about their colour — which it seems was reddish brown or ginger.

Date: 2010
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08740

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