Feathered Dinosaurs

dinosaurs · feathers · evolution · paleontology

Dinosaurs had feathers. For a long time, people thought dinosaurs were scaly reptiles, but scientists have found evidence that many non-bird dinosaurs actually had feathers or feather-like structures on their bodies.

Feathers came first. Feathers didn't start with birds. Many dinosaur species millions of years before modern birds evolved had feathers covering parts of their skin.

Scientists still discovering. Paleontologists are still researching and debating exactly which dinosaur species had feathers and what those feathers looked like, because new fossils are being found all the time.

Feathers kept them warm. Scientists think some dinosaurs used their feathers to stay warm, while others might have used them for display, just like many birds do today.

Birds are dinosaurs too. All living birds are considered feathered dinosaurs by scientists, which means dinosaurs never really went extinct, they just evolved into the birds we see today.