An article entitled “Melanosome fossils and the colors of Cretaceous dinosaurs and birds” was published in the recent issue of the UK academic journal Nature, introducing two types of Melanosomes found in birds and dinosaurs with hair in Jehol Biota in China. As another significant achievement in the study of ancient birds and dinosaurs, the results provide reasonable evidences for inferring the "colorful" appearances of early birds and dinosaurs might have. Meanwhile, the research result also provides new evidence for scientific recovery of the colors of palaeobios, origin of feathers and birds, and the systematic relationship between birds and dinosaurs.

Some important progresses have been obtained in the international research of the colors of palaeobios in the past two years. In 2008, a Yale University research group comprised of paleontologists and ornithologists, for the first time, found melanosomes containing true melanin in Early Cretaceous feather fossils discovered in Brazil. They found many structures containing melanin in the fossils in their research, such as birds’ eyes, fish’s eyes, and the hair of mammals.

The research team also conducted an investigation into German Eocene bird feathers in 2009, and discovered the true melanin again, further confirming that the feather color information could be saved in the fossils.

The melanosomes found in ancient birds and dinosaur skin derivatives presented the first demonstration that a number of ancient birds and hairy dinosaurs living in 125 million years ago enjoyed a common colorful basis. Scientists have discovered two types of melanosomes in these fossils, i.e. true melanin and brown melanin, with the latter being first found in fossils.

In addition, the research methods and approaches have been improved in this study. In the past, the morphological research on feathers and other skin derivatives was mainly conducted by means of human eyes and optical microscopes at the level of cell and tissue. But the present study conducted a pioneer investigation into the internal cellular structures, melanosomes, of more than 125 million years ago mainly through electron microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, laying a sound foundation for the future paleontological study on cellular and subcellular structures at the micrometer level, providing a new means to ancient environment and taphonomy research at the micrometer level, and promoting the integration between paleobiology and modern biology that would bring about a growth momentum in new scientific disciplines.

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Ministry of Science and Technology of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the UK Natural Environment Research Council, and the UK Royal Society, the research was jointly completed by scientists from the United Kingdom, Ireland and China. Chinese scientists included Zhang Fucheng, Zhou Zhonghe, Xu Xing and Wang Xiaolin from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.