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Did Dinosaurs Come with or without Feathers?
ICR ^ | DECEMBER 28, 2018 | JERRY BERGMAN, PH.D.

Posted on 01/01/2019 10:42:10 AM PST by lasereye

Many secular scientists consider so-called “feathered dinosaurs” to be evidence of dinosaurs evolving into birds. Clearly defined anatomy-based categories exist for both “bird” and “dinosaur,” but evolution requires a bird-to-dinosaur transition.1 In living creatures, only birds—not mammals or reptiles—have feathers. Furthermore, with a few controversial exceptions,2 all extinct feathered animals are acknowledged as birds. Even bird-feather proteins called keratins are unique.3

The use of feathers to fly “affects virtually every aspect of feather design and construction.”4 A flight feather has a long, slender central shaft called a rachis. From this extend the barbs, and from these extend the even smaller barbules. The barbules on one side of the barb are smooth, but, like Velcro, they link to tiny hook-shaped barbules on the opposite side.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image showing feather barbs with hooklets. Image credit: Copyright © 2010 C. Dove and S. Koch. Used in accordance with federal copyright (fair use doctrine) law.

Assuming hypothetical feathers on dinosaurs functioned as modern feathers do, they must consist of all the required working parts. Even the angle, thickness, shape, and construction of the parts must all exist and be assembled within narrow tolerances.5 So far, Darwinists have only impressions of “protofeathers” that they assume were structures on the way to becoming modern feathers. But until they became functional feathers, it appears they would have decreased a creature’s fitness, making them less likely to persist in future generations.6

Consequently, a biblical creation worldview rejects the supposition that protofeathers were structures on the way to evolving into flight feathers. So, what were they? Possibly skin collagen fibers, not feathers. Some resemble fossil preparation marks, which are caused by tools used to uncover and excavate fossils. For these reasons, many researchers are “skeptical of inferring feathers when there are no feathers preserved” with bona fide dinosaurs in the fossil record.7

The difficulties in determining whether or not a fossil is a feathered dinosaur are many. Most fossils consist only of fragmented skeletal parts. Others show only ambiguous impressions in stone. Unfamiliar creatures that demonstrate evidence of feather-like structures may have been unusual birds like today’s ostrich—not dinosaurs.

For these and other reasons, even some evolutionists have rejected the “feathered dinosaur” conclusion.8 Rather, they interpret the fibers not as protofeathers but as partly decayed integument, which is skin or hide.9 Theagarten Lingham-Soliar suggests that because the Sinosauropteryx fossil was found associated with lake biota, it was probably semiaquatic. Filaments that grew from its skin resembled the smooth, downy feathers used in pillows. They may have helped waterproof it like modern duck feathers.10

No evidence for feather evolution exists. Feathers in the fossil record are consistently fully formed.11 Extensive study of one of the oldest known feathers—a 69-millimeter-long, well-preserved, claimed Archaeopteryx feather—reveals that all its major details match those of modern bird feathers.12 Thus, one might expect to find fully developed feathers on dinosaurs, but “protofeather” fibers don’t fill the bill.

Without the wishful evolutionary thinking, the current evidence suggests that protofeathers were not structures evolving into feathers but likely decayed skin with fossilized collagen fibers remaining. Further research may change the conclusion that feathered dinosaurs did not exist, but until then we must go with the existing evidence, which disputes the feathered dinosaur theory. This conclusion takes the wind out of the sails of an evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds.

References

  1. Sloan, C. 1999. Feathers for T. rex? National Geographic. 196 (5): 99-103.
  2. Although evolutionists have described some extinct feathered animals as links between dinosaurs and birds, each such designation is contested by other evolutionists.
  3. Brush, A. H. 1996. On the origin of feathers. Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 9: 131-142. Witmer, L. M. 1995. The Search for the Origin of Birds. New York: Franklin Watts, 9.
  4. Tarsitano, S. F. et al. 2000. On the Evolution of Feathers from an Aerodynamic and Constructional View Point. American Zoologist. 40 (4): 676-686.
  5. Thomas, B. and J. Sarfati. 2018. Researchers remain divided over ‘feathered dinosaurs.’ Journal of Creation. 32 (1): 121-127.
  6. McLain, M. A., M. Petrone, and M. Speights. 2018. Feathered dinosaurs reconsidered: New insights from baraminology and ethnotaxonomy. In Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Creationism. J. H.
  7. Whitmore, ed. Pittsburgh, PA: Creation Science Fellowship, 477.
  8. For both sides’ position, see Davis, M. J. 1991. The Case of the Flying Dinosaur. Boston: NOVA.
  9. Feduccia, A. 1999. The Origin and Evolution of Birds. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press; Feduccia, A., T. Lingham-Soliar, and J. R. Hinchliffe. 2005. Do Feathered Dinosaurs Exist? Testing the Hypothesis on Neontological and Paleontological Evidence. Journal of Morphology. 266: 125-166.
  10. Lingham-Soliar, T. 2012. The evolution of the feather: Sinosauropteryx, life, death, and preservation of an alleged feathered dinosaur. Journal of Ornithology. 153 (3): 699-711.
  11. Brush, On the origin of feathers, 132.
  12. Parkes, K. C. 1966. Speculations on the origin of feathers. Living Bird. 5: 77-86.
* Dr. Bergman holds multiple degrees and is a former adjunct associate professor at the University of Toledo Medical School in Ohio.


TOPICS: Religion; Science
KEYWORDS: birds; dinosaurs; evolution; feathers
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To: lasereye

Feathers... as in down... also make great insulation for warm-blooded creatures. That and secondary sexual displays for mating. Point is that flight is not the only reason to have feathers.


21 posted on 01/01/2019 12:28:16 PM PST by Tallguy
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To: lasereye

They came both ways.

The ones without feathers morphed into Republicans.
The ones with feathers morphed into birdbrains and then into Democrats.


22 posted on 01/01/2019 12:41:39 PM PST by antidemoncrat
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To: lasereye
Commercial Photography
23 posted on 01/01/2019 12:42:18 PM PST by CaliforniaCraftBeer
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To: CaliforniaCraftBeer
Commercial Photography
24 posted on 01/01/2019 12:43:16 PM PST by CaliforniaCraftBeer
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To: CaliforniaCraftBeer
Commercial Photography
25 posted on 01/01/2019 12:44:05 PM PST by CaliforniaCraftBeer
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To: CaliforniaCraftBeer
Commercial Photography
26 posted on 01/01/2019 12:44:59 PM PST by CaliforniaCraftBeer
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To: MIchaelTArchangel
Both with and without feathers. Proof: Google pictures of Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg.


27 posted on 01/01/2019 12:51:04 PM PST by GraceG ("If I post an AWESOME MEME, STEAL IT! JUST RE-POST IT IN TWO PLACES PLEASE")
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To: CaliforniaCraftBeer

POLLY MUST HAVE A TON OF CRACKERS, RAAAAARGH!!!

28 posted on 01/01/2019 12:53:18 PM PST by GraceG ("If I post an AWESOME MEME, STEAL IT! JUST RE-POST IT IN TWO PLACES PLEASE")
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To: CaliforniaCraftBeer

Feathered dinos just aren’t as fearsome. I grew up with dinos being fearsome for the most part. The nearest thing we have to living dinos are crocs and komodo dragons. Neither have feathers.


29 posted on 01/01/2019 1:06:35 PM PST by xp38
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To: gundog

There is apparently a particular kind of keratin in feathers.


30 posted on 01/01/2019 8:20:05 PM PST by lasereye
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To: salmon76

https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/55/6/470/363303


31 posted on 01/01/2019 8:32:30 PM PST by gundog ( Hail to the Chief, bitches!)
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To: lasereye

Are ‘t they just finding impressions of feathers? Fossils are ‘t bone, per se. They’re mineral cast s where bone once existed. I wouldn’t think keratin would last millions of years.


32 posted on 01/01/2019 8:36:42 PM PST by gundog ( Hail to the Chief, bitches!)
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To: lasereye

The presumption is that proto-feathers provided warmth, thus being quite advantageous for warm-blooded dinosaurs. Surprisingly, they seem to be a basal trait, lost to the truly giant dinosaurs, but this makes sense since heat conservation is less critical to the more massive dinosaurs.


33 posted on 01/01/2019 9:40:56 PM PST by dangus ("The floor of Hell is paved with the skulls of bishops" -- St. Athanasius)
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To: salmon76

You cross section dinosaur bones and you get marrow like mammals and birds, not reptiles.


34 posted on 01/01/2019 9:58:08 PM PST by Seruzawa (TANSTAAFL!)
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To: Seruzawa

Reptile bones have no marrow? Did not know that.


35 posted on 01/01/2019 9:59:08 PM PST by thecodont
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To: lasereye
"Did Dinosaurs Come with or without Feathers?"

Yes. Unequivocally, yes.

36 posted on 01/01/2019 10:23:03 PM PST by Paal Gulli
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To: thecodont

Warm blooded marrow is different from cold blooded marrow. You can call the paleontologist at Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur quarry and argue with him.


37 posted on 01/02/2019 9:21:54 AM PST by Seruzawa (TANSTAAFL!)
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To: lasereye

“Did Dinosaurs Come with or without Feathers?”

yes.


38 posted on 01/02/2019 9:28:59 AM PST by READINABLUESTATE
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