Discovered Dinosaur Tail Hidden in 99-Million-Year-Old Amber Initially Identified as Flora

In a groundbreaking discovery, a feathered tail from a juvenile coelurosaur was found preserved in amber, marking the first time such dinosaur material has been found in this unique fossil form. The discovery, made in Myanmar in 2015, was initially believed to contain plant material, but further analysis revealed its true nature.

The tail, consisting of eight vertebrae, is surrounded by feathers that are preserved in 3D with microscopic detail. Analysis of these feathers revealed they were chestnut-brown on top with a pale or white underside. This finding provides valuable insights into the evolution of feathers, as the feathers lacked a well-developed central shaft, suggesting that the barbs and barbules of modern feathers evolved before the shaft.

The discovery was made by Lida Xing, who found the piece of amber at a market. In a 2016 study, Xing and co-authors used CT scanning and microscopic observations to study the specimen. The soft tissue layer around the bones of the discovered tail retained traces of ferrous iron, a relic from hemoglobin.

The discovery of the dinosaur tail serves as an example of the importance of re-examining findings in paleontology. In another instance, a dinosaur egg was discovered in the Natural History Museum, London's Mineralogy Collection in 2023, after sitting unnoticed for 140 years.

The theropod, to which the discovered tail belongs, is more closely related to birds than to carnosaurs, which includes Velociraptor and Tyrannosaurus. Ryan McKellar, a study co-author, confirmed the discovery to BBC News in 2016.

Professor Mike Benton described seeing the details of the dinosaur tail as "amazing," imagining how the dinosaur got its tail caught in the resin and died. The amber containing the tail was traced back to Kachin State, Myanmar.

It's possible that the dinosaur could have become trapped in resin while still alive and died as a result. In 2020, a skull resembling a hummingbird was discovered, but later identified as a new species of lizard in 2021. This serves as a reminder that even seemingly significant findings may require further examination and analysis.

An earlier version of this article was first published in August 2024. The person who found the piece of amber in Myanmar in 2015, which turned out to contain the feathered tail of a juvenile coelurosaur, is not named in the available information. The discovery of these fossils continues to shed light on the evolution of dinosaurs and their relationship to modern birds.

Discovered Dinosaur Tail Hidden in 99-Million-Year-Old Amber Initially Identified as Flora