"Beautiful" Squirrel-Tail Dinosaur Fossil Upends Feather Theory

"Probably all dinosaurs were feathered," scientist concludes.



"Certainly one of the most beautiful dinosaur fossils ever found."


A newfound squirrel-tailed specimen is the oldest known meat-eating dinosaur with feathers, according to a new study. The late-Jurassic discovery, study authors say, strikes down the image of dinosaurs as "overgrown lizards."

Unearthed recently from a Bavarian limestone quarry, the "exquisitely preserved" 150-million-year-old fossil has been dubbed Sciurumimus albersdoerferi—"Scirius" being the scientific name for tree squirrels.

"Beautiful" Squirrel-Tail Dinosaur Fossil Upends Feather Theory