Ancient poop reveals why birds survived dinosaur extinction
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Paleontologists from the U.S. and China studied a fossilized dinosaur coprolite, ancient poop, discovered in Montana to understand why birds lived through the asteroid impact that killed other dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
Researchers examined the contents of the coprolite using CT scans, finding feathers, fish scales, and small leg bones. These remains belonged to a hesperornithiform, an extinct aquatic bird similar to a loon, and the fish it last ate.
The analysis revealed differences between the hesperornithiform’s feathers and those of the Neornithes, the group of birds that survived the extinction event. Hesperornithiform feathers had both modern, waterproof qualities and more primitive, fuzzy feathers. The scientists believe the hesperornithiforms’ less-developed feathers provided inadequate insulation against the drastically changed temperatures following the asteroid impact.
O’Connor and her team suggest that the superior feather structure of the Neornithes enabled their ancestors to survive the harsh conditions of the End-Cretaceous period, while the hesperornithiforms perished. This discovery offers new insight into how certain species adapted to catastrophic environmental shifts.
