What colour are Dinosaurs?

Published: 16th Sep 2015

Not much more than 5 years this question would not have been able to be answered. However recent research has shown that structures visible in equisitely preserved dinosaur feathers, discovered in China, resemble similar sacs that determine the colour of birds today. These structures are known as melanosomes and are different shapes depending on the pigment colour they contain.

Black feathers contain rod shaped melanosomes, whilst red ones a circular. Unfortunately some colours such as blue and yellow do not fossilise as they are caused by proteins that easily breakdown. So at least we can establish the colour of some feathered dinosaurs but the sauropods and other no feathered dinosaurs colour will still remain a mystery.

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