Science
Fossilized bird feather discovered preserved inside dinosaur feces in Montana
NPR reports that a preserved late Cretaceous feather found in fossilized dinosaur dung could offer clues about bird survival.
The short version
- A fossilized bird feather from the late Cretaceous period was discovered embedded in dinosaur coprolite in Montana's Hell Creek Formation.[NPR]
- Researcher Jingmai O'Connor suggests differences in plumage insulation may have influenced which bird groups survived the mass extinction.[NPR]
- Evolutionary biologist Julia Clarke disputes that hypothesis, arguing the fragmented evidence cannot reliably explain species survival and extinction.[NPR]
Key facts
- David DeMar discovered a fossilized bird feather in 2016 in Montana's Hell Creek Formation.[NPR]
- The feather dates back to the late Cretaceous period and was preserved inside coprolite from a large carnivorous dinosaur like Tyrannosaurus rex or Nanotyrannus.[NPR]
- Paleontologist Jingmai O'Connor characterized the specimen as the best-preserved feather yet recovered from the age of dinosaurs.[NPR]
What remains uncertain
- Evolutionary biologist Julia Clarke disputes that incomplete fossil fragments can adequately explain why certain bird species survived while others went extinct.[NPR]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.