9/15/2016 ThisDinosaurWoreCamouflage

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/09/dinosaur-camouflage-fossil-find.html

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A beautifully colored dinosaur fossil is the first to show evidence of countershading, a type of
camouflage.

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Well-preserved fossil remains of a dinosaur show evidence that it sported darker and
lighter colors as camouflage.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JAKOB VINTHER, UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL

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ByTraciWatson
PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 14, 2016

Surroundedbyhungrypredators,alittleplanteatingdinosaurfrom
theearlyCretaceousdidtheonlysensiblething.Itdonnedcamouflage.
Analysisoftheexquisitelypreservedfossilremainshasrevealedoneof
themostelaboratedinosaurpaintjobseverseen,includingabrownbackand
alighterbelly.Moderndayantelope,fishandotheranimalshavesimilar
darkandlightzones,whichconfusepredators,butthisisthefirstdiscovery
ofsuchmarkingsonadinosaur.
Thisoneisunique,sayspaleontologistJakobVintherofBritains
UniversityofBristol,coauthorofastudydescribingthefossilpublishedin
thejournalCurrentBiology.Wecanveryclearlyseethattherearecolor
patternsstripes,spots.
Thefossilisalsomemorableforamoreembarrassingreason:It
appearstobepooping.Protrudingfromitsbottomisaroundedobjectmuch
likeadogdropping.Theresearcherssaytheobjectcouldbeabone,butits
compositionsuggestsfecalmaterial.
Evenso,theanimalprobablydidntdiewhiledefecating,Vinther
saysviaemail.Gasesfromtheanimalsdecaymayhavepushedoutthewaste,
hesays,orperhapsthedinosaursgutscontinuedtochurnafterdeath.
ThefancypantsreptileisatypeknownasaPsittacosaurus,or
parrotlizard.Itwasaboutthesizeofagoldenretriever,withstubbyspikes
onitscheeksandabeakedjaw.Luxuriantquillssproutedalongitstaillike
bristlesfromatoothbrush.

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ThisparticularPsittacosauruslivedsome120millionyearsagoin
whatisnowChina.Itwasnotasafeneighborhood.Localpredatorsincluded
Yutyrannus,aT.rexlikegiantweighingatonormore,andasmallerT.rex
relativenamedDilong.
Psittacosaurussdarkbackandlighterbelly,visibleonthespecimens
remainingscales,couldhavehelpeditstayoutofahungrycarnivoresclaws.
Moderndaypredatorsrelyonanobjectsshadingtoassessitsshape,Vinther
explains,andwhenpreyisdarkerontopthanonthebottom,acolorscheme
knownascountershading,shadowsareminimizedandtheanimalslook
flatter.

The dinosaur Psittacosaurus, illustrated, is the first dinosaur to show evidence of

countershading, a type of camouflage in which animals have darker-colored backs and
lighter bellies.
ILLUSTRATION BY BOB NICHOLLS

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Tolearnmoreaboutthedinosaursenvirons,theresearchersbuilta
lifesizemodelofthePsittacosaurusandpainteditgray.Atanearbybotanic
garden,themodelwasphotographedonbothclearandcloudydays,outin
theopenandundercoverofvegetation.
TheimagesshowthatthePsittacosaurusscoloringprovidedthebest
camouflageindiffuselight,notfullsun.Sothereptileprobablylivedinthe
forestratherthanonthesavanna,theresearchersconclude.
Thedinosaursdarkpigmentsprobablyservedotherpurposesaswell.
Darkstripesontheinsideofitslegsmayhavewardedoffinsects,likethe
slashesadorningthelegsofmoderndayzebras.Andspotsontheoutsideof
thefrontlegscouldhavehardenedtheskin,thankstothetoughening
qualitiesofpigmentmolecules.
Otherscientistssaythatgiventhedifficultyofreconstructingextinct
animalsandtheirenvironments,thenewstudymakesagoodcasethatthis
animalturnedtocamouflage.
Itsnosurprisethatadinosaurshoulddoso,paleontologistDavid
HoneofBritainsQueenMaryUniversityofLondonsaysviaemail.Butitis
veryimportantasitshowsthatthesepatternsreallywerepresent.That
givesconfidencewewillfindmore,andthencanstarttoseehowthings
changeovertime.
Thenewresultsareverycool,sayspaleontologistGarethDykeof
HungarysUniversityofDebrecen,whohasfoundthattheextinctreptiles
knownasmosasaurshaddarkbacksandmayhavehadlightbellies.Whats
interesting,Dykesays,isthevarietyofdifferentcolorsseenonthissingle
fossil.Wedontseethat,asfarasIknow,inmany,ifanyother,fossil
dinosaurs.

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Feathereddinosaursareknowntohaveboastedbeautifullycolored
plumage,butVintherarguesthatthisspecimenhadscales,notfeathers.And
thatmakesthisPsittacosaurustheclearwinnerinitsdivisionofthedinosaur
beautycontest.
Thisisdefinitelythebestspecimen,saysVinther,theHolyGrailfor
nakeddinosaurs.

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