Dinosaur May Have Looked Like a Raccoon
A new study of the Sinosauropteryx fossil may shed some light on its appearance and habitat. The turkey-sized dinosaur likely sported a bandit-like mask of dark feathers around its eyes, with a striped tail to match. It likely had a dark-colored back and a light underside. This is called countershading. Countershading is a type of camouflage that makes animals appear less dimensional from the side. With these findings, it can be deduced that the Sinosauropteryx actually lived in an open habitat rather than under tree coverage, as it was previously believed.
Transcript
A new study of the Sinosauropteryx fossil may shed some light on its appearance and habitat.
The turkey-sized dinosaur likely sported a bandit-like mask of dark feathers around its eyes, with a striped tail to match.
It likely had a dark-colored back and a light underside. This is called countershading.
Countershading is a type of camouflage that makes animals appear less dimensional from the side.
With these findings, it can be deduced that the Sinosauropteryx actually lived in an open habitat rather than under tree coverage, as it was previously believed.
