Jurassic Dinosaur Had Feathers for Display, Not Flight

A newly described dinosaur fossil found in Mongolia by Chinese paleontologists has an odd mix of attributes. The skeleton is clearly that of a small dinosaur, but like many other recent finds from the area, the animal was covered with feathers. In fact, Epidexipteryx hui had four extremely long, ribbon-like tail feathers.

Unlike some dinosaurs from the time, there is no evidence of flight-capable feathers on the arms of Epidexipteryx. The feathers on this newly discovered animal must have been used for insulation and display instead of flight.


Source: Nature
Photo Credit: Zhao Chuang & Xing Lida