6 ms·

Clearly there are feathers. Is it finally settled then? Land-based dinosaurs probably all, or at least most, had feathers?

moultano 9y ago
The assumption right now is that every theropod had feathers of some kind somewhere. Some of them may have lost them as adults, or only be partially covered, the skin impression information is somewhat inconsistent. But generally yes, theropods looked very much like big carnivorous flightless birds, plumage and all. Velociraptor for instance likely had what today we would describe as wings.
- krylon 9y ago
  Jurassic Park lied to me! Even though the link between dinosaurs and birds is mentioned explicitly. :( Would be interesting to see a remake that used all of the current knowledge about dinosaurs, what they looked and behaved like.
  - bringtheaction 9y ago
    The most recent Jurassic Park movie has a solution to this problem. In it they say that they had to use genes from amphibians together with the dinosaur genes in order to create their animals. This way the issue is reconciled.
    - krylon 9y ago
      Now that I think of it, they mentioned the amphibian DNA in the first one (and the book), too, to explain why the dinosaurs were suddenly able to procreate. Still, a life-size velociraptor ot T-Rex covered in a coat of feathers must be quite a sight.
      - malydok 9y ago
        I wonder how much the CGI production costs would rise :-)
      - kkylin 9y ago
        I think someone may have posted this already, but in case not: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/t-rex-skin-was-not-covered-feathers-study-says-180963603/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/t-rex-skin-was-not... "T. Rex Was Likely Covered in Scales, Not Feathers" What I don't understand is how something the size of T rex doesn't just die from heat shock whenever it breaks into a sprint. I vaguely recall reading somewhere that one of the dangers facing beached whales is that they start to overheat rapidly. Did big dinosaurs just live in cooler environments? Do they have better ways to dissipate heat? Did they like dipping in lakes and ponds? I'm sure someone would have asked these questions already, but no idea what current thinking in the field is...
        saget 9y ago
        Whales have a lot of fat (and I'm assuming other insulating tools) to keep them warm in cold water, their bodies aren't designed to be beached in warm air under the sun. Elephants, while not as large as a trex, can survive the hot African savanna no problem so I feel evolution could handle making a trex live in moderate temperatures without to much of a problem
        kkylin 9y ago
        True, good point!
        srean 9y ago
        The question, though, is with or without feathers. Elephants have huge head radiators and no plumage, so there is a point to the article
        pvaldes 9y ago
        Many african big predators chase at night and sleep all day.
andrewl 9y ago
Possibly. Or maybe it was only the dinosaurs in this group, the theropods, that had them. Or that had them to a significant degree. I still picture the giants being featherless, just as modern elephants, rhinos, and hippos, are hairless, or mostly hairless, with only a few coarse bristles. I am not, however, aware of anything in the literature on this topic, so I have no evidence to offer.
- Frogolocalypse 9y ago
  http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/18/us/elephant-hair/index.html http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/18/us/elephant-hair/index.htm...
  - andrewl 9y ago
    Interesting, thank you. So maybe the sauropods were bit fuzzy, or downy.
DanielleMolloy 9y ago
It is interesting that drawings of Chinese dragons always have something like feathers, while European dragons do not. Dragons may have at least partly been inspired by dinosaur fossils. The feathered dinosaur fossils have first been discovered in Liaoning, China (and apparently many others in Asia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feathered_dinosaur#Fossil_discoveries https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feathered_dinosaur#Fossil_disc... Maybe evolution made some differences. (disclaimer: I do not know the actual scientific literature)
- cocoablazing 9y ago
  Both the basilisk and cockatrice are often depicted with feathers or bird-like features.
Shivetya 9y ago
are we talking both two and four leg variety or just the two legged variety? It ispossible those with smaller forelegs/arms were more avian, perhaps even having given up the wings for more useful appendages

moultano 9y ago

The assumption right now is that every theropod had feathers of some kind somewhere. Some of them may have lost them as adults, or only be partially covered, the skin impression information is somewhat inconsistent. But generally yes, theropods looked very much like big carnivorous flightless birds, plumage and all. Velociraptor for instance likely had what today we would describe as wings.

krylon 9y ago
Jurassic Park lied to me! Even though the link between dinosaurs and birds is mentioned explicitly. :( Would be interesting to see a remake that used all of the current knowledge about dinosaurs, what they looked and behaved like.
- bringtheaction 9y ago
  The most recent Jurassic Park movie has a solution to this problem. In it they say that they had to use genes from amphibians together with the dinosaur genes in order to create their animals. This way the issue is reconciled.
  - krylon 9y ago
    Now that I think of it, they mentioned the amphibian DNA in the first one (and the book), too, to explain why the dinosaurs were suddenly able to procreate. Still, a life-size velociraptor ot T-Rex covered in a coat of feathers must be quite a sight.
    - malydok 9y ago
      I wonder how much the CGI production costs would rise :-)
    - kkylin 9y ago
      I think someone may have posted this already, but in case not: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/t-rex-skin-was-not-covered-feathers-study-says-180963603/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/t-rex-skin-was-not... "T. Rex Was Likely Covered in Scales, Not Feathers" What I don't understand is how something the size of T rex doesn't just die from heat shock whenever it breaks into a sprint. I vaguely recall reading somewhere that one of the dangers facing beached whales is that they start to overheat rapidly. Did big dinosaurs just live in cooler environments? Do they have better ways to dissipate heat? Did they like dipping in lakes and ponds? I'm sure someone would have asked these questions already, but no idea what current thinking in the field is...
      - saget 9y ago
        Whales have a lot of fat (and I'm assuming other insulating tools) to keep them warm in cold water, their bodies aren't designed to be beached in warm air under the sun. Elephants, while not as large as a trex, can survive the hot African savanna no problem so I feel evolution could handle making a trex live in moderate temperatures without to much of a problem
        kkylin 9y ago
        True, good point!
        srean 9y ago
        The question, though, is with or without feathers. Elephants have huge head radiators and no plumage, so there is a point to the article
      - pvaldes 9y ago
        Many african big predators chase at night and sleep all day.

andrewl 9y ago

Possibly. Or maybe it was only the dinosaurs in this group, the theropods, that had them. Or that had them to a significant degree. I still picture the giants being featherless, just as modern elephants, rhinos, and hippos, are hairless, or mostly hairless, with only a few coarse bristles. I am not, however, aware of anything in the literature on this topic, so I have no evidence to offer.

Frogolocalypse 9y ago
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/18/us/elephant-hair/index.html http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/18/us/elephant-hair/index.htm...
- andrewl 9y ago
  Interesting, thank you. So maybe the sauropods were bit fuzzy, or downy.

DanielleMolloy 9y ago

It is interesting that drawings of Chinese dragons always have something like feathers, while European dragons do not. Dragons may have at least partly been inspired by dinosaur fossils. The feathered dinosaur fossils have first been discovered in Liaoning, China (and apparently many others in Asia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feathered_dinosaur#Fossil_discoveries https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feathered_dinosaur#Fossil_disc... Maybe evolution made some differences. (disclaimer: I do not know the actual scientific literature)

cocoablazing 9y ago
Both the basilisk and cockatrice are often depicted with feathers or bird-like features.

Shivetya 9y ago

are we talking both two and four leg variety or just the two legged variety? It ispossible those with smaller forelegs/arms were more avian, perhaps even having given up the wings for more useful appendages