3 ms·

It now looks like feathered dinosaurs were a lot more common than that though. Virtually all of the raptors (velociraptor, utahraptor, etc) are assumed to be f

It now looks like feathered dinosaurs were a lot more common than that though. Virtually all of the raptors (velociraptor, utahraptor, etc) are assumed to be feathered based on fossil evidence today. When I was in grade school the real breakthroughs were in the area of evidence of warm-blooded dinosaurs. More recently though, there have been a lot of breakthroughs suggesting feathers were much earlier than we had previously thought.

sambeau 13y ago
Indeed. I think what I was trying to point out is that this doesn't add weight to early dinosaurs being feathered. These feathers are from the same period as Velociraptors. It's cool, its fascinating and it's mind-blowing that some of these feathers could be from Velociraptor-like creatures! It's also great science. But I was guarding against people saying "proven: all dinosaurs had feathers" which is the inevitable route that some of the internet commentary will take.
- jonnathanson 13y ago
  Velociraptor almost definitely had feathers, as well as wings. In fact, it pretty much was a flightless proto-bird (though scientists believe it may have descended from a flying predecessor). If it were alive today, we'd basically see it as a curiously shaped, medium-to-large land bird with teeth. Check out some of the post-2007 renderings of Velociraptor. My mind was certainly blown, especially after having grown up with the image as portrayed by Jurassic Park. (2007 was when Velociraptor bones were discovered with quill knobs, almost indisputably indicating that the animal had wings and feathers).
- einhverfr 13y ago
  I wouldn't say that all dinosaurs had features, but a fair number did (and fairly large taxonomical groups!). Where the breakthrough is here is that we have evidence of the sorts of colors. In the past all of our speculation has been that of "artists impressions" but now we have something more tangible to work with.

sambeau 13y ago

Indeed. I think what I was trying to point out is that this doesn't add weight to early dinosaurs being feathered. These feathers are from the same period as Velociraptors. It's cool, its fascinating and it's mind-blowing that some of these feathers could be from Velociraptor-like creatures! It's also great science. But I was guarding against people saying "proven: all dinosaurs had feathers" which is the inevitable route that some of the internet commentary will take.

jonnathanson 13y ago
Velociraptor almost definitely had feathers, as well as wings. In fact, it pretty much was a flightless proto-bird (though scientists believe it may have descended from a flying predecessor). If it were alive today, we'd basically see it as a curiously shaped, medium-to-large land bird with teeth. Check out some of the post-2007 renderings of Velociraptor. My mind was certainly blown, especially after having grown up with the image as portrayed by Jurassic Park. (2007 was when Velociraptor bones were discovered with quill knobs, almost indisputably indicating that the animal had wings and feathers).
einhverfr 13y ago
I wouldn't say that all dinosaurs had features, but a fair number did (and fairly large taxonomical groups!). Where the breakthrough is here is that we have evidence of the sorts of colors. In the past all of our speculation has been that of "artists impressions" but now we have something more tangible to work with.