WeWow on the Weekend (11/30/24)

Fossil Discovery

The discovery of dinosaur dandruff on fossilized feathers has provided new insights into the lives of these ancient creatures. Mindy Thomas explains that this dandruff was found on a feather from a crow-sized raptor that lived 125 million years ago in prehistoric China 1. This finding challenges the previous belief that dinosaurs shed their skin all at once, like snakes or lizards. Instead, it suggests that feathered dinosaurs shed their skin in small flakes, similar to modern birds 2.

This fossilized feather belonged to a teeny tiny little crow sized raptor that lived in prehistoric China 125 million years ago.

--- Mindy Thomas

The presence of dandruff in these fossils indicates a more complex skin shedding process than previously thought, highlighting the evolutionary connection between dinosaurs and birds.

   

Dandruff Implications

The implications of finding dandruff on dinosaur fossils extend to our understanding of their biology and evolution. Guy Raz notes that the collagen in these prehistoric creatures is remarkably similar to that in modern chickens, suggesting a close evolutionary link 3. The absence of corneocytes in the dandruff, which are fats birds sweat out, implies that these dinosaurs, despite having feathers, likely did not fly 1.

Scientists now think that all modern day birds are in some way related to prehistoric dinosaurs.

--- Mindy Thomas

This discovery not only reinforces the connection between birds and dinosaurs but also provides clues about the lifestyle and adaptations of these ancient animals.