Dinosaur Tail Discovered Preserved in Amber, Feathers and All

By Seth G. Macy

Paleontologists have discovered a feather-covered dinosaur tail preserved in amber.

This is the first time an actual piece of a dinosaur has been preserved in such a way as to leave the bones, skin, and most exciting, feathers intact.

According to National Geographic, CT scans of the apricot-sized piece of amber reveal 8 vertebrae belonging to a thin tail that "may have been originally made up of more than 25 vertebrae."

Artist conception of a feathered dinosaur.

It's not the first evidence of dinosaur feathers, but it is the first time such evidence has been so direct. Previous evidence includes fossil impressions of feathers, and individual feathers in amber.

Researchers were also able to rule out the feathers belonging to a prehistoric bird thanks to the "presence of articulated tail vertebrae in the sample."

The question still remains: did only some dinosaurs have feathers, or did they all? An artist reconstruction of a dinosaur found in Wales earlier this year shows it covered in down, but so far it's impossible to know for certain. Hopefully this new discovery will help scientists expand our understanding of the prehistoric creatures that ruled Earth before us.

On the other hand, T-Rex might not seem so cool if we learn it was really just a 40-foot tall chicken.

Seth Macy is IGN's weekend web producer and just wants to be your friend. Follow him on Twitter @sethmacy, or subscribe to Seth Macy's YouTube channel.

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