For many years, many Paleontologists and Archeologists have been able to get dinosaur fossils. Many of the fossils can contain some details, but most of them as well are seen as imprints into rocks. Now though a rare feathered dinosaur tail has been found in amber, which might be a new phase in dinosaur archeology.
For the first time, researchers have been able to find a dinosaur specimen in amber that has what appears to be feathers on it. The researchers are from China, Canada and the University of Bristol. The sample is said to come from a dinosaur since its vertebrae are not fused into a rod like that of birds, as Ryan McKellar from the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Canada has said.
The amber specimen has been discovered by Lida Xing from the China University of Geosciences and the first author of the study. Originally it was thought to be a sort of plant inclusion and was to be used for jewelry, according to the University of Bristol's site. Xing however saw the amber and suggested that the Dexu Institute of Paleontology buy the amber.
The dinosaur tail is said to belong to a theropod 99 million years ago. In order to see the tail more closely, CT scan has been used for it. The feathers on it are chestnut-brown in color with a white underside. It also offers a rare look on how feathers likely evolved. Unlike modern bird feathers, the feather lacks a central part called the rachis.
The researchers have also examined the tail inclusion that's quite exposed near the amber's surface, as Science Daily reports. By looking into it, they have found that it has traces of ferrous iron. This ferrous iron is what remained of the hemoglobin of the dinosaur.
The researchers have said that amber plays a part in Archeology and Paleontology as it can preserve ecosystems and even parts of animals. Preservation in it can be remarkable, as shown by the rare feathered dinosaur tail found in amber. It an offer scientists a better view of how the animal was. Scientists are also looking at the evolution of the tail found in fish fossils.
