SMRTR Science & EngineeringSep 10, 2026Interesting Engineering

66-million-year-old dung preserves rarest dinosaur-era feather ever found

SMRTR summary

A 66-million-year-old piece of fossilized dinosaur dung found in Montana contains the best-preserved 3D feather ever discovered from the dinosaur age. Micro-CT scanning revealed fish scales, bird bones, and feathers from a hesperornithiform, an ancient diving bird. Researchers believe its primitive, poorly insulating feathers explain why it went extinct after the asteroid impact, while better-insulated modern birds survived.

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