Washington, Apr 29 (ANI): Analysis of newfound fossils of a
feathered dinosaur has suggested that the extinct reptiles might
have had a diversity in plumage types that puts modern birds to
shame. Farmers in northeastern China have unearthed two roughly
125-million-year-old specimens of the dinosaur
Similicaudipteryx— a member of the group called the
oviraptorosaurs, which are believed to be ancestors of birds.
The species, believed to be herbivorous, was first described in
2008—it had robust jaws similar to those of other
oviraptorosaurs, but with two unusually large buck teeth. The
two new fossils belong to a pigeon-size juvenile dinosaur
thought to be just a year or two old and a three- to four-year-
old duck-size youth. The younger animal”s fossil included short
ribbonlike feathers and each feather on its tail was just 1.6
inches (4 centimeters) long, while on its arms a typical feather
was less than 0.8 inch (2 centimeters) long. On the other hand,
the older dinosaur sported long quills, with each tail fea