An illustration of a tyrannosaur preying on an ancient diving bird. (Andrey Atuchin via SWNS)
A feather preserved inside dinosaur dung could help explain why birds survived the mass extinction that wiped out most life on Earth.
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The fossil feather preserved in dinosaur poop. (O’Connor et al via SWNS)Release date: September 10 2026
By Talker
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David DeMar, Jr. holding the exposed fossil feather in the coprolite fragment on the day of its discovery in 2016. (O’Connor et al via SWNS)Release date: September 10 2026
By Talker
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