Ancient flying reptiles that can change their own coat color, existed at the same time as dinosaurs

New research reveals that ancient flying reptiles - pterosaurs - had feathers and could manipulate their feather color to attract mates or stay cool. Pterosaurs lived alongside dinosaurs during the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous, 230 to 66 million years ago.

People know that pterosaurs have a fine coat of hair-like fibers called pycnofibres, but is it "real" hair? This question remained controversial until recently.

Pterosaurs lived alongside dinosaurs during the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

Scientists from University College Cork carried out the study of the 115-million-year-old crested fossil of the pterosaur Tupandactylus imperator from northeastern Brazil. This dinosaur had a wingspan of nearly 4 meters - the size of a light aircraft - and was famous for its strangely giant crest.

The team found that the lower part of the crest had a faint rim of hair, consisting of both stiff hair-like hairs and downy hairs.

'We were really surprised when we discovered it. For decades, paleontologists have debated whether pterosaurs had feathers. Now that it's clear, the feathers in our specimen end that debate because they were so clearly branched, like birds today.

The team studied the feathers using a high-powered electron microscope and found "melanosomes" inside - particles of the pigment melanin. The melanosomes have different shapes depending on the type of hair.

Study of feathers under high power electron microscope. The scientists found melanosomes in soft tissues (a – c), melanosomes extending from single filaments (d – f), and ovoid melanosomes from dendrites (g – i).

'In today's birds, feather color is closely related to melanosome shape. Since pterosaur feathers have many different melanosome shapes, I think they must have had a genetic machinery to control feather color. This feature is very important because it acts as soon as the pterosaur grows young'.

The discovery also suggested that although these feathers were not intended for flight, they could have been used as a form of visual communication.

Professor Mike Benton of the University of Bristol, who was not involved in the study, said that the pterosaurs may have used their feathers as 'a signal to other individuals of the same type'.

Tupandactylus species and their relatives all have crests of different shapes, which start from the skin and extend over the bones. Each species has large irregularly colored spots.

It is possible that these crests are used to transmit signals between males and females before mating. This feature is similar to some birds that use colorful tail fans, wings and crests to attract mates.

The fossil specimen has now been returned to its homeland in Brazil for public viewing and further research.