๐ฆ 120-Million-Year-Old Pterosaur Shimmered in Iridescent Green and Magenta, Fossil Reveals
Scientists analyzing a preserved tapejarid pterosaur fossil (Sinopterus dongi) from China found melanosomes arranged in highly ordered layers โ the same nanostructure that makes hummingbirds shimmer today. Optical simulations confirmed the animal would have reflected green-to-magenta iridescent colors, predating similar coloration in birds by tens of millions of years. The find, published in 2026 on bioRxiv, upends the assumption that structural iridescence was a bird-exclusive evolution. Do you think this dazzling display was for attracting mates?
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