The tail of a 99-million-year-old dinosaur, including bones, soft tissue, and feathers, has been found preserved in amber – full Jurassic Park style – as reported by Current Biology.
The first dinosaur tail found in preserved amber is covered in feathers, not scales, and it’s bloody beautiful. Have a look below.
Dinosaur feather have been found preserved in amber before, as have they been spotted as impressions in fossils, but this is the first time that scientists have been able to associate well-preserved feathers with a specific dinosaur. This provides a much clearer understanding of the evolution and structure of dinosaur feathers:
“CT scans and microscopic analysis of the sample revealed eight vertebrae from the middle or end of a long, thin tail that may have been originally made up of more than 25 vertebrae. CT scans and microscopic analysis of the sample revealed eight vertebrae from the middle or end of a long, thin tail that may have been originally made up of more than 25 vertebrae.”
The tails is unbelievably well-preserved, considering its monumental age, and it’s goddamn beautiful. Have a look below and read a fascinating article on the tail via Nat Geo here.
[via Nat Geo]
