Paleontologists are used to finding dinosaur bones and tracks. But remnants of soft tissue, like muscles or skin, are rare and often not well preserved. A very small percentage of tracks – much less than 1% – show skin traces [i.e. impressions].
Kyung-Soo Kim, Ph.D., of Chinju National University of Education recently found a set of very small tracks with perfect skin traces near Jinju City, Korea. CU Denver Professor Emeritus of Geology Martin Lockley, Ph.D., – with Kim, Jong Deock Lim of Korea and Lida Xing of Beijing – wrote a paper about the skin traces for the journal Scientific Reports. They described the skin as "exquisitely preserved."
"The skin traces come from tracks of the smallest known theropod, the Minisauripus."
[Editorial update - clarifying that "skin traces" means "impressions of skin", rather than "traces of skin" - thanks to poster below. --FP.]
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday April 10 2019, @08:02PM (4 children)
As a compensation, you get to confirm that dinos weren't completely covered in feathers or exoskeletons.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 10 2019, @10:16PM (3 children)
... on their feet. Their feet aren't completely covered in feathers. Are there even any birds with feathers on their feet?
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday April 10 2019, @10:23PM (1 child)
After the asteroid set half the world on fire, natural selection happened, and all feathered-feet dinos and birds died off while the bare-feet ones survived.
Prove me wrong.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 11 2019, @03:40AM
"asteroid"
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Osamabobama on Wednesday April 10 2019, @11:15PM
It would seem so: Story about pigeons [utah.edu]
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