WXXI-TV | Assignment: The World |




	• Science Desk >> ATW -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Feathered Dinosaurs Our latest Science news centers on birds of a feather, or should we say Dinosaurs of a feather. Since the recent discovery of a fossil of an ancient bird called archaeopteryx, Paleontologists have been convinced that there are close ties between reptiles and birds. The logical belief was that the scales of the first dinosaurs started to change when some primitive reptiles took up life in the trees. Feathers, of course, would have been the perfect skin covering for the demands of flight. It turns out, that we may have had it all backwards. Recent fossil finds from China show that indeed, feathers may have come long before flight. That’s right your favorite dinosaurs like the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Velociraptor may have had feathered skin. Why all the confusion? To answer that question, you have to understand how fossils are made. Generally, fossils are formed by the replacement of bony material with minerals. Skin is not bony, so usually it decays long before the fossilization events finish. It takes a very unique set of circumstances to fossilize skin; one of those circumstances is if the skin is covered in something—like feathers! Fossils uncovered from 125 million years ago in China include non-flying forms that clearly show skin—they also show feathers and tufts of feathers all over the organism. The next question of course is when did flight develop? Were there dinosaurs like modern turkeys, who run along the ground to launch themselves into the air, or an alternative hypothesis; a group of tree dwellers who took to gliding and eventually flight. A recent find, a birdlike dinosaur called Microraptor Gui had four feathered limbs, adapted for tree dwelling. These limbs would have been perfect for flying. The full story still remains to be told. You can learn more about the cretaceous age and the history of flight by visiting atwonline.org. That's it from the Science Desk. More Information Louis Rey’s website will help you learn more about feathered dinosaurs and show you some Cool dinosaur artwork.. http://www.luisrey.ndtilda.co.uk/index.htm Check out Joe Tucciarone web page to learn more about dinosaurs and to see some great images of your favorite dinosaurs. http://members.aol.com/Dinoplanet/joe.html Learn more about China’s Feathered Dinosaurs on the Peabody Museum of Natural History’s web page. http://www.peabody.yale.edu/exhibits/cfd/CFDintro.html The Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s web page will give you a look at some interesting Feathered Dinosaur fossils. http://www.carnegiemuseums.org/cmnh/exhibits/feathered/ Check out the University of California’s Museum of Paleontology for current topics concerning Dinosaurs. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/dinobuzz.html The australian museum online will give you much insight into the world of featherd dinosaurs. http://www.amonline.net.au/chinese_dinosaurs/feathered_dinosaurs/ This article discuses a theory about how dinosaurs might have learned how to fly. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2664541.stm Want to learn more about the Cretaceous Age? Check this out! http://www.peabody.yale.edu/mural/cretaceous/ © 2004 WXXI-TV/ Assignment: The World. All Rights Reserved.