The Feathered Dinosaurs 1of5

Whilst the traditional view on the evolution of feathers was in relation to flight, new discoveries of feathered dinosaurs in China have changed this to focus on thermoregulation and display. Similarly, the evolutionary path from reptilian scales to bird feather has been turned on its head by tubular structures from the follicle.

Certain organisations continue to parrot the phrase "no transitional dinosaurs fossils have ever been found". However, the list of species which possess transitional features continues to grow.

The realization that dinosaurs are closely related to birds raised the obvious possibility of feathered dinosaurs. Fossils of Archaeopteryx include well-preserved feathers, but it was not until the early 1990s that clearly nonavian dinosaur fossils were discovered with preserved feathers. Today there are more than twenty genera of dinosaurs with fossil feathers, nearly all of which are theropods. Most are from the Yixian formation in China. The fossil feathers of one specimen, Shuvuuia deserti, have even tested positive for beta-keratin, the main protein in bird feathers, in immunological tests.

Epidexipteryx hui, Protoavis, Protarchaeopteryx, Archeopteryx, Avimimus, Sinosauropteryx, Caudipteryx, Rahonavis, Shuvuuia, Sinornithosaurus, Beipiasaurus, Microraptor, Nomingia, Epidendrosaurus, Cryptovolans, Scansoriopteryx, Yixianosaurus, Dilong, Pedopenna, Jinfengopteryx, Sinocalliopteryx, Sinornis, Ambiortus, Hesperornis, Ichthyornis

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