They discover a hidden step in the evolution of feathers in dinosaurs

May 21. () –

Paleontologists have discovered that some feathered dinosaurs They had scaly skin, like modern reptilesthus shedding new light on the evolutionary transition from scales to feathers.

Researchers at University College Cork (UCC) in Ireland studied a new specimen of the feathered dinosaur Psittacosaurus from the Early Cretaceous Period (135-120 million years ago), a time when dinosaurs were evolving into birds. The study shows, for the first time, that Psittacosaurus had reptilian skin in areas where it did not have feathers.

The study, published in Nature Communicationswas led by paleontologists Zixiao Yang and Maria McNamara from the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, who worked as a team with scientists from Nanjing University (China).

The team used ultraviolet (UV) light to identify patches of preserved skin, which are invisible in natural light. Further investigation of fossil skin using X-rays and infrared light revealed spectacular details of the preserved cellular structure.

“The fossil is truly a hidden gem. The fossil skin is not visible to the naked eye and remained hidden when the specimen was donated to Nanjing University in 2021. Only under ultraviolet light is the skin visible, with a striking yellow-orange glow” Yang said. it’s a statement.

“What’s really surprising is the chemistry of fossil skin. It’s made of silica, just like glass. This type of preservation has never been found in vertebrate fossils. There are potentially many more fossils with hidden soft tissues waiting to be discovered“he added.

However, the most exciting aspect of the discovery is what it tells us about the evolution of dinosaur feathers. Professor McNamara, lead author of the study, says: “The evolution of feathers from reptile scales is one of the most profound but poorly understood events in vertebrate evolution. While numerous feather fossils have been studied, skin fossils are much rarer.

“Our discovery suggests that the smooth, bird-like skin initially developed only in the feathered regions of the body, while the rest of the skin was still scaly, as in modern reptiles. This zoned development would have maintained functions skin essentials, such as protection against abrasion, dehydration and parasites Therefore, the first dinosaur to experiment with feathers. could survive and pass the feather genes on to its offspring.”