Feather in cap for bird researchers
Print Edition
CHINESE archeologists have discovered molecular evidence of the protein keratin in a bird fossil from the Cretaceous Period 130 million years ago, which may provide clues about the color of feathered dinosaurs and early birds.
The research paper by Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences was published by America’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences yesterday.
Pan Yanhong, a leading researcher with the program, said that they had discovered the molecular structure of a protein that determines feather color in the bird fossil.
The study shows that these molecular structures are preserved in fossils and are consistent with modern feathers.
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