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Sinosauropteryx Found to Have "Color Bands"

posted by Fnord666 on Monday October 30 2017, @02:49AM   Printer-friendly
from the also-known-as-stripes dept.

takyon writes:

Dinosaur sported 'bandit mask'

A dinosaur from China sported a "bandit mask" pattern in the feathers on its face, scientists have said. Researchers came to their conclusion after studying three well-preserved fossil specimens of the extinct creature, called Sinosauropteryx. They were able to discern the dinosaur's colour patterns, showing that it had a banded tail and "counter-shading" - where animals are dark on top and lighter on their underside. The study appears in Current Biology [open, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.09.032] [DX].

The bandit mask pattern is seen in numerous animals today, from mammals - such as raccoons and badgers - to birds, such as the nuthatch. "This is the first time it's been seen in a dinosaur and, to my knowledge, any extinct animal that shows colour bands," co-author Fiann Smithwick, from Bristol University, told BBC News.

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  • (Score: 5, Interesting) by RedBear on Monday October 30 2017, @03:43AM (4 children)

    by RedBear (1734) on Monday October 30 2017, @03:43AM (#589337)

    I love how so many dinosaurs have morphed since I was a tot, from big, fat lumbering bumpy grayish lumps into slimmer, lithe, often fast and probably colorful creatures who may have been largely covered in brightly patterned feathers or hairlike proto-feathers. And why wouldn't they be colorful? They had eyes after all, and hundreds of millions of years to evolve skin or feather pigmentation for various purposes. It's fascinating the way we've been able to find more and more direct evidence of ancient pigmentation, and evidence of feathers long before the era of modern birds. So cool.

    Sorry, I can't think of anything snarky or cynical to say.

    --
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    ... Peace out. Got bear stuff to do. 彡ʕ⌐■.■ʔ
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  • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday October 30 2017, @04:40AM (3 children)

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Monday October 30 2017, @04:40AM (#589345) Journal

    Sorry, I can't think of anything snarky or cynical to say.

    You aren't trying hard enough.

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 30 2017, @06:02AM (2 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 30 2017, @06:02AM (#589354)

      If only a "bandit mask pattern" would identify people who do banditry. But it'll never happen.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 30 2017, @06:03AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 30 2017, @06:03AM (#589355)

        You might like Saudi Arabia. They cut off the hands.

      • (Score: 3, Funny) by chromas on Monday October 30 2017, @01:33PM

        by chromas (34) Subscriber Badge on Monday October 30 2017, @01:33PM (#589426) Journal

        Bandit, no banditry!