Research
What a 99-million-year-old feather is telling us about the evolution of flight
Phys.org ·
The Brief
- A 99-million-year-old feather preserved in amber has been reported as the longest feather ever found in amber.
- Dinosaurs had feathers long before birds took to the skies, but how those feathers evolved into flight structures remains unclear.
Why it matters
The find gives physical evidence from the Cretaceous period that can help explain how feather structures suited to flight may have developed.
Who’s affected
- paleontologists
- evolutionary biologists
- #paleontology
- #feathers
- #evolution
- #amber
- #flight
- #dinosaurs
Long before birds took to the skies, dinosaurs were already sporting feathers. But exactly how they evolved into the sophisticated structures that allow birds to fly remains something of a mystery. Now, the discovery of the longest feather ever found preserved in amber is…