Fossilised dinosaur poo contains stunningly preserved feather
Palaeontologists have discovered a remarkably preserved dinosaur feather inside a piece of fossilised faeces, known as a coprolite. This rare find provides new insights into dinosaur biology and suggests that coprolites could be a valuable source for studying ancient soft tissues.
Why it matters
This discovery opens a new avenue for paleontological research, potentially revealing more about the evolution and extinction of dinosaurs.
A piece of fossilised dinosaur poo contains one of the best-preserved feathers from the dinosaur age.
A palaeontologist found the feather by chance while looking for fish fossils.
Researchers said the discovery, published Friday in Current Biology , might provide clues about why today's birds are the only dinosaur group that survived mass extinction.
Lead author Jingmai O'Connor, associate curator of fossil reptiles at the Field Museum in Chicago, said there might be more hidden feathers inside fossilised faeces, known as coprolites.
"This is the first-ever feather in a coprolite … and it probably would not have been found if it wasn't for a lucky break," Dr O'Connor said.
"This means that coprolites are potentially a new window through which we can study fossilised soft tissues."
Coprolites are rare in the archaeological record because they decay much more easily than skeletons and teeth.
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