Feathers predated birds by 80 million years, challenging our understanding of dinosaurs, birds, and pterosaurs—flying reptiles. Feathers weren’t exclusively for birds or flight, reshaping our perspectives on ancient creatures.
Pterosaurs, close relatives of dinosaurs, were initially thought to be scaly reptilian creatures. A groundbreaking discovery in early 2019, revealing pterosaur feathers, revolutionized our understanding. This finding implies that feather structures evolved much earlier, well before birds branched off from the reptilian evolutionary tree.
Archaeopteryx, the first-known bird 150 million years ago, exhibited a sophisticated and diverse feather structure across its body, suggesting a lengthy evolutionary process. Since 1994, numerous fossilized dinosaurs in China have been uncovered with feather traces, indicating that feathers may have originated when bird-like dinosaurs emerged.
The Kulindadromeus dinosaur fossil discovered in Russia challenged conventional thinking. Despite being distantly related to the bird evolutionary lineage, this dinosaur displayed feathers, suggesting that even the earliest dinosaurs might have been feathered, as noted by Maria McNamara from University College Cork (Ireland).
Debates persist among paleontologists regarding the common evolutionary history of birds. While some argue for independent origins in dinosaurs and birds, recent research leans towards a shared ancestry.
A study in the journal “Experimental Dermatology” (June 2017) proposed a unified genetic mechanism governing the development of reptile scales, bird feathers, and mammalian hair. This suggests a common origin dating back 420 million years, coinciding with the existence of a shared ancestor among these animals.
