Did you know that many dinosaurs probably had feathers? This idea became popular after scientists found feathered dinosaur fossils in the 1990s. But in 2019, researchers made some exciting discoveries that could change what we know about when feathers first appeared. These findings might even alter our understanding of the entire dinosaur family tree!
For a long time, people thought feathers evolved around the same time as birds. This made sense because feathers help birds fly, giving them an advantage. However, new discoveries suggest we might need to rethink this idea. In the early 2010s, scientists found a fossil in Russia with skin that had both scales and feather-like structures. They also found pterosaur fossils with similar feathery structures. Pterosaurs were flying reptiles related to dinosaurs, but they are not directly related to birds.
Birds are believed to have evolved during the Jurassic period, about 165 to 150 million years ago. But these new discoveries suggest feathers might have appeared as early as 175 million years ago. This is long before Archaeopteryx, which is often considered the first bird. Some scientists debate whether the structures found on pterosaurs should be called feathers, but many agree they are linked to the same genes that produce feathers.
The development of feathers is controlled by genetic pathways that also create other structures in animals, like shark skin denticles, fish scales, mammal hair, and even teeth. Studies show that these genetic pathways existed in ancient reptiles called Archosauria, which lived long before dinosaurs and birds. This suggests that the genetic basis for feathers is very ancient.
So, why did feathers evolve long before birds used them for flying? One possibility is related to the end-Permian mass extinction, a time when many species died out. As life recovered, some animals, including dinosaur ancestors, began walking on two legs, had faster metabolisms, and might have been warm-blooded. To stay warm, they might have developed feather-like structures, similar to how early mammals evolved hair.
These discoveries change how we think about bird evolution and the role of feathers. They also raise new questions: Did crocodile ancestors have feathers? What other purposes did feathers serve as birds evolved? These findings not only change our image of dinosaurs but also help us understand the evolution of life on Earth and how different species are related.
If you’re interested in more fossil discoveries, check out videos on T. Rex development and subscribe to Seeker for the latest paleontology news. If you have a fossil mystery you’d like to explore, let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading!
Research and create a timeline that shows the evolution of feathers in dinosaurs. Include key discoveries from the 1990s to 2019. Use images and brief descriptions to make your timeline visually engaging. Present your timeline to the class and explain how each discovery changed our understanding of dinosaur feathers.
Investigate the genetic pathways that lead to the development of feathers, scales, and hair. Create a chart that compares these structures in different animals, such as birds, reptiles, and mammals. Discuss with your classmates how these structures are similar and what this reveals about their evolutionary history.
Participate in a class debate about whether the structures found on pterosaurs should be classified as feathers. Research arguments for and against this classification. During the debate, present your findings and listen to opposing viewpoints. Reflect on how scientific debates contribute to our understanding of evolution.
Use your creativity to design a dinosaur with feathers. Consider what purpose the feathers might serve, such as insulation, display, or camouflage. Draw your dinosaur and write a short description explaining your design choices. Share your creation with the class and discuss how feathers might have benefited dinosaurs.
Research the end-Permian mass extinction and its impact on life on Earth. Create a presentation that explains how this event might have influenced the evolution of feather-like structures in dinosaur ancestors. Include visuals and data to support your findings, and present your work to the class.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
—
We all know by now that most dinosaurs were probably feathered, right? Since the discovery of feathered theropod dinosaur fossils in the mid-1990s, that has become pretty common knowledge. In 2019, scientists linked together many fossil and genetic discoveries to address a long-standing question in the paleontological community: When did feathers evolve? The conclusions could change our understanding not only of the evolution of feathers but also of the entire dinosaur evolutionary timeline.
The long-held belief has been that feathers evolved around the same time as birds, giving them an advantage in a dinosaur-driven world, and that dinosaurs developed feathers around the same time that birds were branching off. However, recent discoveries suggest we may need to rethink this entirely. In the early 2010s, a fossil discovered in Russia showed remarkably well-preserved skin covered in both scales and feather-like structures. Additionally, pterosaur fossils have been found displaying feathery structures as well. Pterosaurs are the flying reptilian cousins of dinosaurs, and both of these organisms are quite a ways back from birds on the evolutionary tree.
We believe birds gradually evolved in the Jurassic period, about 165-150 million years ago. But these discoveries potentially push back the origin of feathers to 175 million years ago, tens of millions of years before Archaeopteryx, which is widely regarded as the first ‘bird’! It’s worth noting that the idea of pterosaurs having feathers is somewhat controversial—some paleontologists question whether these structures should be called feathers at all. However, many experts view these structures, regardless of their name, as expressions of feather-producing genes, which is the important part.
This fossil evidence, pieced together over several years, confirms genetic work. The development of feathers in an organism is controlled by the same genetic regulatory pathways that give rise to different surface structures in other animals, such as denticles in shark skin, scales in bony fish, hair in mammals, and even teeth. Molecular genetics analysis has revealed evidence of these genomic regulations deep in the evolutionary tree, in the Archosauria group. Archosauria were the “ruling reptiles” of the late Permian period, suggesting that the genetic basis for feathers may have existed long before the dinosaurs and well before birds, which are part of the Aves group.
All of this combined presents compelling evidence that feathers are much more ancient than we previously thought. But why? Why did feathers evolve long before birds started using them for flight? There are a couple of possibilities. One idea is that at the end of the Permian period, when reptilian dinosaur ancestors ruled the land, there was a significant extinction event: the end-Permian mass extinction. As organisms slowly began to recover and repopulate the land, they were different. They walked upright on two legs instead of moving on four, had faster metabolisms, and some may have even been warm-blooded. To compete with ancient mammalian ancestors, which were likely evolving hair for warmth, dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and others began using feather-building genes to express feather-like structures, likely for insulation.
Overall, this changes many of our ideas about how birds may have evolved and the role feathers played in their divergence from dinosaurs. This research raises additional questions as well: Were feathers present in crocodilian ancestors? What were the other purposes of feathers in birds as they diverged from the tree? These shifting evolutionary timelines not only alter our popular conceptions of what dinosaurs may have looked like but also enhance our understanding of the evolution of life on Earth and how the organisms we recognize today are related to one another.
If you want more fossil breakthroughs, check out this video on T. Rex development, and make sure to subscribe to Seeker for all your paleontology news. If you have another fossil mystery you’d like to see us uncover, let us know in the comments. Thank you for watching!
—
This version maintains the original content while removing informal language and ensuring clarity.
Dinosaurs – Large reptiles that lived on Earth millions of years ago during the Mesozoic Era. – Scientists study dinosaur bones to understand how these ancient creatures lived and evolved.
Feathers – Light, soft structures that cover the bodies of birds and some dinosaurs, used for flight, insulation, and display. – The discovery of feathers on certain dinosaur fossils suggests that they might have been ancestors of modern birds.
Evolution – The process by which different kinds of living organisms develop and diversify from earlier forms over generations. – The theory of evolution explains how complex life forms have developed from simpler ancestors over millions of years.
Fossils – The preserved remains or impressions of ancient organisms found in rocks. – Fossils provide crucial evidence for understanding the history of life on Earth.
Birds – Warm-blooded vertebrates with feathers, wings, and beaks, descended from theropod dinosaurs. – Birds are believed to have evolved from small, feathered dinosaurs millions of years ago.
Genetic – Relating to genes or heredity, which determine the characteristics of living organisms. – Genetic studies help scientists understand how traits are passed from one generation to the next.
Structures – Arrangements or organizations of parts that form an organism or a part of an organism. – The structures of plant cells include the cell wall, chloroplasts, and vacuoles, which are essential for their function.
Pterosaurs – Flying reptiles that lived during the time of dinosaurs, known for their wings made of a membrane stretched over a long finger. – Pterosaurs were the first vertebrates to achieve powered flight, long before birds appeared.
Species – A group of similar organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. – The Galápagos Islands are home to many unique species that have evolved in isolation.
Earth – The third planet from the Sun, home to diverse ecosystems and life forms. – Earth is the only known planet where life exists, thanks to its suitable atmosphere and water resources.
