Dinosaur With Mature Feathers Uncovered in China

AP via Fox News ^ | 3/6/2002

[CholeraJoe]

Paleontologists working in China say they have unearthed the first fossil of a dinosaur that appeared to have mature feathers identical to those of modern birds, including long, showy plumage on its tail and hind legs.

The U.S.-Chinese research team said the 3-foot fossil should settle once and for all the debate over whether birds and dinosaurs are related.

[CholeraJoe]

More fodder for the Evolution vs. Creation debate.

[CholeraJoe]

Ping.

[CholeraJoe]

Coquette ping.

[CholeraJoe]

Croq ping.

[Willie Green]

Maybe dinosaurs merely fashioned their ceremonial headdresses from bird feathers.

[phasma proeliator]

Archaeopteryx

[txhurl]

I raise exotic chickens - no, no fighting - and they've got the 'saur thing goin' on.

I extrapolate a lot about dinosaur motion and behavior from them, particularly territorial routines.

[pabianice]

False alarm. Further research has discovered that the fossil is simply a 1992 presidential convention delegate from the Massachusetts Democratic Party.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Was the dinosaur dressed in a black pantsuit?

[ZULU]

Its truly amazing how the human mind can so glibly dismiss obvious evidence when it contradicts pre-established theories. The Therapods were clearly warm-blooded and some of them, at least had feathers. If they didn't give rise to birds themselves, birds and theropods had a very close common ancestor.

The idea of a 40 foot tall T. rex running around in a chicken suit is an amusing picture, however.

[ValerieUSA]

They don't even say if it was a boy dinosaur or a girl dinosaur... if it was a boy, I'll bet some girl dino told him his feathers were like just so immature. Girls like to tell boys they are immature.... it's a sign of female maturity.

[TADSLOS]

Big Bird?

[JimSEA]

"I am not impressed," said Storrs Olson, senior zoologist at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History and an ardent critic of Norell's work. "I would want to be very certain that the fossil has not been deliberately salted with feathers from some other source."

Is this to say a Chinese paleontologist put chicken feathers in the dino's grave 129 mil years ago?? Fiendishly clever.

[CholeraJoe]

it was a boy, I'll bet some girl dino told him his feathers were like just so immature.

I wonder if he spiked his feathers with mousse and walked around with his dino boxers showing above his dino jeans listening to dino rap music?

[TxBec]

were the feathers from Nordstroms? :)

[TxBec]

were the feathers from Nordstroms? :)

[motexva]

Haven't Chinese archaeologists previously faked the bird-dinosaur missing link by combining fossils from different species? That may account for his skepticism/

[N. Theknow]

Dinosaur With Mature Feathers Uncovered in China

Helen Thomas is in China!?!

[SC DOC]

Old News

[CholeraJoe]

Fiendishly clever.

Clever these Chinese. "Ah so, yankee plisonah. You suplised I speak you ranguage? Was educated in your country at UCRA."