the competition is over. Sorry NASA. New super rocket to Mars? Yeah, pretty cool. Planet discovered that orbits a binary star system? Okay, I guess.
But did you discover actual feathers from a dinosaur preserved in amber? No? Sorry, but the prize for coolest science story of the week has been awarded.
Dinosaur and bird feathers preserved in amber from a Late Cretaceous site in Canada reveal new insights into the structure, function, and color of animals that date back to about 78 million years ago.
The specimen actually preserve several stages in the development of feathers. Birds, avian dinosaurs, and non-avian dinosaurs all had feathers, with the simplest form being more like hairy scales.
Short of a real life Jurassic Park, this may be the closest any of us get to seeing a dinosaur "in the flesh." well, at least in the feathers. Additional study may reveal color and a much better understanding of what these animals were like in life. Okay, queue the John William's score.
I cant wait to get a look at these samples.