Fine-feathered dinosaur friends

Say goodbye to the scaly-skinned dinosaur of the past. New evidence indicates that dinosaurs were likely coated in a multicolored "delicate feathery plumage," according to a leading expert.

Gareth Dyke, a paleontologist at University College Dublin, is expected to state in a speech at the British Association Festival of Science this week that fossil evidence of dinosaurs' plumed state is "irrefutable."

According to an article in the Sunday Times, the Natural History Museum in London acknowledged that it may change some of its permanent displays to reflect the new findings.

Blog community response:

"Beautiful plumage, isn't it? Anyway, 'E's passed on! This dinosaur is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker."
--jigorea & friends: the blog

"I, for one, am glad to know that the terrible lizards of yore were absolutely fabulous."
--Terry's LJ

"Be kind to your fine-feathered friends! It'll be something to see kids dinosaur toys, and dinosaurs in movies replete with Puffin-like plumage!"
--Steve's No Direction Home Page

"I always felt that the popular image of gray skinned lizard was wrong. All we had to go by is the hides of the modern reptiles. But dinosaurs were more related to birds. If we look at modern birds, we can clearly see how colorful they are. Hence, t-rex might have been raging pink, or bright yellow for all we know."
--Terminally Incoherent