New Research Conducted By Paleontologists Suggests That Ancient Dinosaur Feathers And The Feathers Of Modern-Day Birds Have More In Common Than Previously Thought
An X-ray analysis conducted by paleontologists at the University College Cork in Ireland has revealed that ancient feathers and feathers from modern-day birds have more in common than previously thought and have a similar protein composition.
The discovery has shed new light on the evolution of feathers, proving that the chemistry of modern-day feathers originated much earlier than past studies have shown.
The research was led by paleontologists Dr. Tiffany Slater and Professor Maria McNamara. They examined feathers from three different ancient animals, including a 125 million-year-old dinosaur called Sinornithosaurus and an early bird known as Confuciusornis, both from China.
They also analyzed a 50 million-year-old feather belonging to an unspecified species from the United States.
The team of researchers used a new method of detecting traces of ancient feather proteins that involved X-rays and infrared light technology.
They found that the feathers from the Sinornithosaurus contained lots of beta-proteins, just like the feathers of birds today. Beta-proteins are necessary for helping to strengthen feathers for flight.
Additionally, the team conducted experiments to learn more about how feather proteins break down during the process of fossilization. In the past, the tests that scientists ran on dinosaur feathers found mostly alpha-proteins. Alpha-proteins made feathers less stiff and less suited for flight.
However, the new studies have shown that ancient feathers were actually mainly made up of beta-proteins, which transformed into alpha-proteins during the fossilization process and were not present originally. It is believed that they might have formed due to the extreme heat that fossils are subjected to over time.
This new information has completely changed previous understandings of flight. Before, it was a mystery as to when powered flight evolved. Now that scientists know that traces of proteins can survive for up to 125 million years, they have a rough timeline to work with.
Gorodenkoff – stock.adobe.com- illustrative purposes only, not the actual archaeologists
Paleontologists are working on developing new tools to dig deeper into what happens during the fossilization process, which will help provide more insight into the evolution of flight in birds and dinosaurs.
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