Researchers discovered the first-ever plant eating dinosaur that had both feathers and scales, suggesting feathered creatures were more common than previously believed. The results could even indicate that all dinosaurs had feathers.
In the past only some meat-eating dinosaurs were known to have feathers, the Museum of Natural Sciences in Belgium reported. The finding was published today in the journal Science.
The new dinosaur, dubbed Kulindradromeus zabaikalicus, was discovered on the banks of the Olov River in Siberia.
Birds are believed to have risen from dinosaurs about 150 million years ago, but every known ancestor has been a flesh-eater. Kulindadromeus was a vegetarian, and has scales on its tail and shins as well as feathers on its arms and legs.
"I was really amazed when I saw this. We knew that some of the plant-eating ornithischian dinosaurs had simple bristles, and we couldn't be sure whether these were the same kinds of structures as bird and theropod feathers. Our new find clinches it: all dinosaurs had feathers, or at least the potential to sprout feathers," said lead author Dr Pascal Godefroit from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS).
The feathers were excavated over several summer digs and were found among plant and insect fossils.
"These feathers are really very well preserved. We can see each filament and how they are joined together at the base, making a compound structure of six or seven filaments, each up to 15 [millimeters] long."
The findings suggest these feather-like structures may have been widespread in dinosaurs during this time period. Feathers may have arose during the Triassic over 220 million years ago. The feathers' original purpose may have been for insulation Smaller dinosaurs may have been covered in colorful feathers that did not develop to allow flight until much later.
"The feathers look like down feathers from some modern chickens. When we compare them with the leg scales, it looks as if the scales are aborted feathers, an idea that has been suggested to explain why modern birds also have scaly bare legs," feather expert, Danielle Dhouailly from the Université Joseph Fourier in La Tronche, France said.
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