Alberta Researchers Find Dinosaur Feathers in Amber

Discovery yields insights into how dinosaurs known as theropods looked and lived some 80 million years ago.

Researchers at the University of Alberta have discovered 80-million-year-old dinosaur feathers preserved in amber, offering a glimpse into the diversity of the prehistoric reptiles. The feathers are believed to have belonged to a theropod, basically a smaller, feathered Tyrannosaurus Rex that lived in the swamplands of ancient Alberta. The researchers say, though, that these "protofeathers" were too thin and flimsy to be meant for flying, but they probably helped keep theropods warm toward the end of the dinosaur era. The amber pieces were found among a massive collection of the solidified tree sap at Alberta's Royal Tyrrell Museum. Unlike fossils, amber preserves the actual remains of animals, meaning the colour, size, and shape of the protofeathers remain wholly intact for analysis. If you remember Jurassic Park, amber also held the secret to bringing dinosaurs back to life, so we fully expect whoever ends up as the next premier of Alberta to devote a substantial sum to replicating that park in Drumheller.

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