Paleontologists at University College Cork (UCC) in Ireland have discovered X-ray evidence of proteins in fossil feathers that sheds new light on feather evolution.
Previous studies suggested that ancient feathers had a different composition to the feathers of birds today. The new research, however, reveals that the protein composition of modern-day feathers was also present in the feathers of dinosaurs and early birds, confirming that the chemistry of feathers originated much earlier than previously thought., was led by paleontologists Dr. Tiffany Slater and Prof.
Isolated fossil feather from the Green River Formation . Specimen held in the Yale University Peabody Museum of Natural History. Scale bar indicates 100 mm. Credit: Dr Tiffany Slater "Modern bird feathers are rich in beta-proteins that help strengthen feathers for flight," Dr. Slater says.