Palaeontology

Actual dinosaur tail found preserved in amber

By T.K. Randall
December 8, 2016

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) The incredible discovery, which is being hailed as a world first, has provided scientists with a unique opportunity to study - not just a fossil - but an actual piece of dinosaur, frozen in time.

The apricot-sized specimen, which was found in an amber mine in north-eastern Myanmar, contains the perfectly preserved tail of a juvenile coelurosaur - a type a therapod dinosaur.

Scans of the amber indicate the presence of eight vertebrae from the tail's mid-section along with several delicate feathers which have been described as brown on the top and white underneath.

'Beautiful' dinosaur tail found preserved in amber https://t.co/RDYb0StFkA

— BBC Science News (@BBCScienceNews) December 8, 2016

"This is the first time we've found dinosaur material preserved in amber," said study co-author Ryan McKellar of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Canada."We can be sure of the source because the vertebrae are not fused into a rod or pygostyle as in modern birds and their closest relatives."

"Instead, the tail is long and flexible, with keels of feathers running down each side."

The remarkable discovery is undoubtedly one the most significant palaentological finds in years.

"It's amazing to see all the details of a dinosaur tail - the bones, flesh, skin, and feathers - and to imagine how this little fellow got his tail caught in the resin, and then presumably died because he could not wrestle free," said study co-author Prof Mike Benton from the University of Bristol.

Source: BBC news

Tags: Dinosaur, Amber