A partial tail of an ancient feathered dinosaur preserved in amber 99 million years ago was just discovered by researchers in Burma, according to a study released on Thursday.
A lead author at the China University of Geosciences, Lida Xing first came across the feathered dinosaur fossil last year in Myanmar at an amber market. The accidental discovery offered fresh insight into the extinct-feathered creatures and their evolution itself.
Ryan McKellar, one of the scientists who worked on the study published in the US journal Current Biology said that this new source of information can be deemed worthy of further research reiterating on the protection of the fossil resource.
The researchers are sure the amber has preserved a dinosaur and not a prehistoric bird, McKellar said, because "the tail is long and flexible."
"The new material preserves a tail consisting of eight vertebrae from a juvenile; these are surrounded by feathers that are preserved in 3D and microscopic detail," said the co-author and scientist from the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Canada.
Though the entire tail was feathered, the dinosaur likely could not fly, the paleontologist noted. The plumage probably helped the animal with mating rituals or with thermal regulation, McKellar said.
Feathers dating back to the time of dinosaurs have already been discovered in amber, but this is the first time scientists have been able to definitively link a specimen to a dinosaur, researchers said. Scientists analyzed the amber inclusion using CT scanning and microscopic observations.
Their analysis deduced that the feathers were dark brown on top with a pale or white underside. A soft tissue layer around the bones contained traces of ferrous iron from hemoglobin preserved in the sample.
The fossilized tree resin is often used in jewelry, but McKellar said this find highlights the importance of amber to paleontological research. "Amber pieces preserve tiny snapshots of ancient ecosystems, but they record microscopic details, three-dimensional arrangements, and labile tissues that are difficult to study in other settings."
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