Most people think of rainy days as gray, but in Nicols P. Villarreals animated short Nieta, a little girl has exactly the opposite reaction. For her, gloomy. Tyrannosaurus rex scaly skin WASNT covered in feathers. Unlike its fluffy ancestors, Tyrannosaurus rex lost all its feathers because it was too warm. According to controversial new fossil evidence, the dinosaur instead had scaly skin, much like a reptile. Researchers believe T rex may have lost its feathers due to its large size and because it no longer needed insulation. The study seems to rescue the giant lizards reputation as a fearsome killer with a rough and tough hide although not all scientists are convinced. Scroll down for video Researchers studied skin patches of the neck, pelvis and tail of a T. Houston Museum of Natural Science, as well as samples from four other members of the extended tyrannosaurid family. WHAT DID THEY FIND The team concluded that extensive feather coverings in tyrannosaurids which lived much earlier were already lost in the common forefather of T. Late Cretaceous began. The data provides compelling evidence of an entirely scaly covering for T. Tyrannosaurus rex had scaly skin Here are the controversial reasons why scientists think the dinosaur was NOT covered in feathers. Scientists looked at skin. According to NASA, Cassini took 21 photos within a span of just four minutes on August 20th. Due to the vantage point of the wideangle camera, its a bit tough to. Directed by Zoltan Korda. With John Clements, Ralph Richardson, C. Aubrey Smith, June Duprez. Resigning his commission on the eve of his units deployment against. Royal Society journal Biology Letters. This suggested, in turn, that most if not all large bodied tyrannosaurids were scaly and, if partly feathered, these were limited to the dorsum back, they wrote. The study begged the question of why after T. Rexs ancestors evolved feathers from an even more ancient scaly forebear the giant tyrannosaurs reverted back to scales. Paleontologists believe the first birds appeared 1. For the new study, an international team of scientists led by the University of New England tracked down museum samples of skin from T. These included skin patches of the neck, pelvis and tail of a T. Baker, Montana which is now at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, as well as samples from four other members of the extended tyrannosaurid family. That group roamed the planet during the Late Cretaceous, which extended from 9. Watch A Resurrection HDQ more. Earth and wiped out all land dwelling dinos. The team concluded that extensive feather coverings in tyrannosaurids which lived much earlier were already lost in the common forefather of T. Late Cretaceous began. The data provides compelling evidence of an entirely scaly covering for T. Get the latest music news, watch video clips from music shows, events, and exclusive performances from your favorite artists. Discover new music on MTV. Its cake versus ice cream for Splatoon 2s first Splatfest and were streaming all the fun live on our Twitch channel. Come and join the mayhemRoyal Society journal Biology Letters. Our discovery of fossilised scaly skin similar to that of modern reptiles on the bodies of a wide variety of tyrannosaur species including T. The data provides compelling evidence of an entirely scaly covering for T. Royal Society journal Biology Letters NOT EVERYONE IS CONVINCED Some researchers say they are not convinced by the results of the study. Dr Steve Brusatte of the University of Edinburgh told the BBC he wouldnt be surprised if T. But I dont think we can assume that T. It takes inconceivable good luck to preserve feathers in fossils. Just because we dont see them doesnt mean they werent there. So I dont think we need to throw out the image of a big fluffy T. This suggested, in turn, that most if not all large bodied tyrannosaurids were scaly and, if partly feathered, these were limited to the dorsum back, they wrote. The study begged the question of why after T. Rexs ancestors evolved feathers from an even more ancient scaly forebear the giant tyrannosaurs reverted back to scales. Palaeontologists believe the first birds appeared 1. Researchers studied skin patches of the neck, pelvis and tail of a T. Baker, Montana which is now at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. The first dino feathers were simple hollow shafts, which evolved over time into something resembling their modern shape, engineered for flight. Some researchers say they are not convinced by the results of the study. Dr Steve Brusatte of the University of Edinburgh told the BBC he wouldnt be surprised if T. But I dont think we can assume that T. It takes inconceivable good luck to preserve feathers in fossils. Just because we dont see them doesnt mean they werent there. So I dont think we need to throw out the image of a big fluffy T. A Velociraptor Without Feathers Isnt a Velociraptor Phenomena. Jurassic Park is the greatest dinosaur movie of all time. Aside from being an exceptionally entertaining adventure, the film introduced audiences to dinosaurs that had never been seen before hybrids of new science and bleeding edge special effects techniques. The active, alert, and clever dinosaurs that paleontologists had recently pieced together were revived by way of exquisite puppetry and computer imagery, instantly replacing the old images of dinosaurs as swamp dwelling dullards. Despite the various scientific nitpicks and some artistic license overreach lets not talk about the Spitter   Jurassic Park showed how science and cinema could collaborate to create something truly majestic. Thats why its so disappointing to hear the the next Jurassic Park sequel is going to turn its back on a critical aspect of dinosaur lives. In Jurassic Park 4, the films director has stated, there will be no feathery dinosaurs. Three years after the first Jurassic Park debuted, paleontologists announced that the small theropod Sinosauropteryx was covered in a fine coat of fuzzy protofeathers. This was just the initial drop in a flood of feathery dinosaur discoveries which confirmed that a wide variety of dinosaurs bore archaic forms of plumage, from simple filaments to asymmetrical feathers that would have allowed them to fly. And not only did these discoveries confirm the fact that birds are one lineage of dinosaurs, but that many bird traits such as feathers evolved long before the first avians took to the air. Velociraptor was definitely a feathery dinosaur, and Tyrannosaurusprobably was, as well. In fact, other dinosaurs more distantly related to birds such as Triceratops at least sometimes sported swaths of bristles, quills, or similar body coverings in addition to the pebbly tubercles of their skin. Dinosaurs were far stranger and flashier than anyone expected. Are fluffy tyrannosaurs such as these Yutyrannus any less scary than the leathery skinned sortArt by Brian Choo. The Jurassic Park franchise quickly fell behind the times. There was not a feather to be seen in 1. The Lost World Jurassic Park. Granted, maybe the filmmakers didnt have time to incorporate new designs that fluffy little Sinosauropteryx could have inspired. But 2. 00. 1s Jurassic Park III blundered by making the barest token effort to update their dinosaurs. The Velociraptor pack that harries fictional paleontologist Alan Grant and companions have little feathery wisps on their otherwise bald bodies. If youre going to put feathers on dinosaurs, you really have to commit to the bit. The Jurassic Park franchise actually made their dinosaurs look sillier by holding back while science was giving dinosaurs a major makeover. Now Jurassic Park 4 director Colin Trevorrow who recently helmed the fun indie scifi confection Safety Not Guaranteed is saying that the Jurassic Park franchise is going to continue to ignore some of the coolest science paleontology has to offer. Granted, Tevorrows statement on the matter was rather brief, but on Twitter he simply said No feathers. JP4. How sorely disappointing. I have no idea what dinosaurs are due to appear in Jurassic Park 4. I wish that I did. But if Velociraptor and Tyrannosaurus are reprising their roles, these dinosaurs should certainly have some kind of plumage. That comes right from fossil evidence and evolutionary logic. But this is about more than just visuals. A blockbuster summer film has the opportunity to introduce audiences to dinosaurs as have never been seen before on the big screen while simultaneously throwing some much needed support to evolution by visualizing one of the critical traits that connects avian and non avian dinosaurs. And speaking as an unabashed dinosaur fan myself, a dinosaur bearing fuzz, feathers, or quills is so much stranger and more wonderful than yet another olive green, scaly monstrosity. Watch Ghostbusters II Online Free 2016. Hollywood, let paleontologists help you push the boundaries of fantastic dinosaurs. Franchise purists might point out that Trevorrows plan is in the spirit of the original Jurassic Park. Nobody loves a retcon. But the franchise has already changed its dinosaurs several times with no explanation. The first sequel introduced new color palettes for the dinosaurs, as did the third film. Not to mention the fact that Jurassic Park III raises the mystery of why Site B contains species that In. Gen didnt clone, and never actually resolves this point. If the dinosaurs are changing from film to film to start with, why not take a jump and show audiences something they have never witnessed before The fuzzy dinosaur Sinocalliopteryx actually ate other forms of feathered dinosaurs. Art by Cheung Chungtat, from Xing et al., 2. We shouldnt feel bound by what audiences are comfortable with. Ive never seen a major feature create a truly well done, scary feathered dinosaur, mostly because they have been afraid to commit to science that differs from our cherished childhood imagery of what dinosaurs were. But if the creators of the original Jurassic Park showed the same fealty to old dinosaurs tail dragging, lumbering idiots then the film might not have had the major cultural impact that it did. Its time to take a calculated risk and update Jurassic Parks dinosaurs. Of course, I dont have much any sympathy for complaints that feathery dinosaurs look lame. If feathered dinosaurs look silly, thats because of a lack of care and attention from those that restore them. Paleoartists John Conway, Emily Willoughby, Julius Csotonyi,  and others, by contrast, have aptly demonstrated that feathered dinosaurs can be just as awe inspiring and fascinating as the naked skinned monsters we used to know. The only trick is fostering those dinosaurs according to science and looking to living animals to bound our speculation. Dipping a digital Velociraptor in electronic glue and shaking some feathers over it just wont do. If youre being chased by a tyrannosaur, a carefully arranged coat of fuzzy feathers doesnt make the dinosaur any less fierce or threatening, just as there is something undeniably unsettling and scary about envisioning a Velociraptor cleaning blood from its colorful plumage after a kill. Letting feathery dinosaurs run wild could inspire a whole new generation of young fossil fans, thrill audiences, and give evolutionary science a much needed boost. When we eventually return to Jurassic Park, I most certainly hope to see feathery dinosaurs strut their stuff.