FOSSIL STRIPES

[darren.naish@port.ac.uk]

Nick Longrich wrote...

> This summer I got to see what appear to be preserved dinosaur
> *stripes*, believe it or not, one of the few cases I know of any 
> truly ancient animals preserving a coloration pattern. 

Stripes or banding on fossil feathers are actually not rare 
(proportionally speaking of course). I understand that there is some 
controversy about whether they truly represent a fossil colour 
pattern, or if they are due to some kind of physics banding... thing. 
Well, that's what I've heard Paul Davis say. I spent my physics 
lessons drawings whales and terminator robots.

DARREN NAISH 
PALAEOBIOLOGY RESEARCH GROUP
School of Earth, Environmental & Physical Sciences
UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH
Burnaby Building
Burnaby Road                           email: darren.naish@port.ac.uk
Portsmouth UK                          tel: 01703 446718
P01 3QL                               [COMING SOON: 
http://www.naish-zoology.com]