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Researchers Find Color In Fossils

Posted by kdawson on from the any-color-as-long-as-it's-black dept.

Science News has a look at the latest paleontological fashion: what may be the remains of pigment in fossilized feathers 100 million years old. The material in question is believed to be black melanin, on the evidence of its similarity in scanning-microscope images to the modern pigment. The researchers are hopeful of identifying other varieties of melanin, which provide red or yellow coloration; and also possibly of spotting fossilized nanostructures of melanin that create iridescent patterns in some modern animals.

3 of 77 comments (clear)

  1. Hokey Pokey Science Fiction if you ask me by sleeponthemic · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've seen the evidence. Color evolved when Dorothy was whisked away to OZ.

    --
    I record my sleeptalking
    1. Re:Hokey Pokey Science Fiction if you ask me by ABoerma · · Score: 5, Funny

      And there I was thinking it came after Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon used a magic remote...

  2. Re:background? by gregbot9000 · · Score: 5, Funny

    So this could rule out purple and green dinosaurs, yellow protoceratops, and orange hadrosaurs. What next? You're going to tell me that dinosaurs didn't sing and dance with little children, were taller than 6' 2" and weren't overflowing with uncomfortable kindness?