By Helen Briggs
Science reporter, BBC News
Some scientists believe a number of dinosaurs had feathers
A fossil unearthed in China has given scientists a rare glimpse of what dinosaurs were like in the flesh.
The plant-eating Psittacosaurus had a thick layer of shark-like skin hidden under scales or feathers.
Palaeontologists believe this tough outer coating supported the dinosaur's organs and protected it from predators.
Tooth marks suggest the dinosaur was torn open by a scavenger, giving a unique insight into their biology, 100 million years after this one's death.
The research is published in the Royal Society's journal Proceedings B.
'Unprecedented understanding'
Soft tissues such as skin are rarely preserved in the fossil record, leading to heated debate over what dinosaurs looked like, and whether they were covered in primitive feathers or scales.
The Psittacosaurus, or parrot lizard, specimen gives the first detailed picture of what dinosaurs were like deep under the skin.
To have the skin folded on the fossil so that you can see the cross section through it is remarkable
Mark Witton, University of Portsmouth
The bipedal herbivore, which grew to about the size of a gazelle, had tough, scaly skin with more than 25 layers of collagen - similar to that of today's sharks, reptiles and dolphins.
"As noted from the studies on modern-day animals, this fibre structure plays a critical part in the stresses and strains the skin may be subjected to and is ideally suited to providing support and protection," explained Professor Theagarten Lingham-Soliar of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
"Psittacosaurus gives a remarkable, unprecedented understanding of the dinosaur skin."
'Prehistoric pig'
The specimen comes from an area of China that has yielded a treasure trove of uniquely-preserved fossils
BBC News - UK
Science reporter, BBC News
Some scientists believe a number of dinosaurs had feathers
A fossil unearthed in China has given scientists a rare glimpse of what dinosaurs were like in the flesh.
The plant-eating Psittacosaurus had a thick layer of shark-like skin hidden under scales or feathers.
Palaeontologists believe this tough outer coating supported the dinosaur's organs and protected it from predators.
Tooth marks suggest the dinosaur was torn open by a scavenger, giving a unique insight into their biology, 100 million years after this one's death.
The research is published in the Royal Society's journal Proceedings B.
'Unprecedented understanding'
Soft tissues such as skin are rarely preserved in the fossil record, leading to heated debate over what dinosaurs looked like, and whether they were covered in primitive feathers or scales.
The Psittacosaurus, or parrot lizard, specimen gives the first detailed picture of what dinosaurs were like deep under the skin.
To have the skin folded on the fossil so that you can see the cross section through it is remarkable
Mark Witton, University of Portsmouth
The bipedal herbivore, which grew to about the size of a gazelle, had tough, scaly skin with more than 25 layers of collagen - similar to that of today's sharks, reptiles and dolphins.
"As noted from the studies on modern-day animals, this fibre structure plays a critical part in the stresses and strains the skin may be subjected to and is ideally suited to providing support and protection," explained Professor Theagarten Lingham-Soliar of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
"Psittacosaurus gives a remarkable, unprecedented understanding of the dinosaur skin."
'Prehistoric pig'
The specimen comes from an area of China that has yielded a treasure trove of uniquely-preserved fossils
BBC News - UK
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Re: Flesh wound reveals dino secrets:Bald truth about dinosaur feathers
Wed, January 9, 2008 - 4:33 PMPsittacosaurus (the "parrot-lizard", named after its strong beak), stood about 4ft tall, was a plant-eater with strong back legs and two smaller front legs. It could either stand up to reach for vegetation or run on all fours to escape predators. Five years ago, it was suggested that it was adorned with primitive feathers too.
But Prof Lingham-Soliar, who attacks this interpretation of the Chinese fossil in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, Biological Sciences, tells The Daily Telegraph: "Scientists must really now choose - belief in the nebulous idea of protofeathers or the reality of collagen, the dominant protein in vertebrates.
"I am convinced from the nonsense spouted by many of the people who denounce collagen in favour of protofeathers that they have never actually seen collagen in its natural or decomposing state."
He adds that, thanks to a quirk of preservation, the fossil provides a "remarkable, unprecedented" insight into the structure of dinosaur skin.
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"What is highly significant in the present study are the masses of collagen fibres found - over 40 dermal layers seen for the first time in a fossil animal, which shows how vitally important collagen was in providing support and protection of the enclosed body mass of dinosaurs per se.
"It is hardly surprising that the Chinese dinosaurs, as they decomposed, exposed quantities of these structures."
Earlier this year he cast doubt on the relevance to modern birds of turkey-sized Sinosauropteryx, a fossil found in 1994 by a farmer in Liaoning province, northeastern China, where red-grey mudstone has provided a trove of remains from the Early Cretaceous period some 130 million years ago.
The long-tailed meat-eater was preserved fibre-like structures that, its Chinese researchers claimed, were primitive feathers. But subsequent work by the South African professor concluded they were actually the remains of collagen fibres that reinforced a frill that ran down the dinosaur's back from head to tail, as well as the skin.
Although the new work will not challenge the link between birds and dinosaurs it will lead to a fundamental rethink of why feathers evolved in the first place.
www.telegraph.co.uk
