The True Colors of Dinosaurs

Jakob Vinther

doi:10.1038/scientificamerican0317-50

The True Colors of Dinosaurs

Jakob Vinther

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Abstract

Scientists long assumed that they could only guess at the colors of dinosaurs and other extinct organisms.
But recent discoveries of preserved pigments in fossils of a wide range of creatures have upended that notion.
Analyses of the pigments are allowing researchers to infer the actual colors of animals that vanished long ago.
The color patterns have, for their part, revealed other previously unknown aspects of the animals' lives.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	50-57
Number of pages	8
Journal	Scientific American
Volume	316
Issue number	3
Early online date	14 Feb 2017
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0317-50
Publication status	Published - Mar 2017

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title = "The True Colors of Dinosaurs",

abstract = " Scientists long assumed that they could only guess at the colors of dinosaurs and other extinct organisms. But recent discoveries of preserved pigments in fossils of a wide range of creatures have upended that notion. Analyses of the pigments are allowing researchers to infer the actual colors of animals that vanished long ago. The color patterns have, for their part, revealed other previously unknown aspects of the animals' lives.",

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AB - Scientists long assumed that they could only guess at the colors of dinosaurs and other extinct organisms. But recent discoveries of preserved pigments in fossils of a wide range of creatures have upended that notion. Analyses of the pigments are allowing researchers to infer the actual colors of animals that vanished long ago. The color patterns have, for their part, revealed other previously unknown aspects of the animals' lives.

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The True Colors of Dinosaurs

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