Fossil with Preserved Tail Feathers Show Dinosaur Plumage Patterns

A 75 million year-old fossil was recently discovered that has an amazing level of preservation, down to tail feather plumage, which gives scientists their best look yet at what the physical patterning on some dinosaurs would have looked like. 

 

An undergraduate student from the University of Alberta has uncovered the fossilized remains of an Ornithomimus dinosaur with preserved tail feathers and soft tissue. The remarkable specimen is offering important insights into the plumage patterns of these ancient creatures, while tightening the linkages between dinosaurs and birds.

The dinosaur is called Ornithomimida, a six-foot bipedal creature that would have been almost entirely covered in feathers. Pretty amazing find.