Not just splitting hairs: UCC study pushes origin of feathers back 70m years

UCC scientists have discovered that pterosaurs had feathers, pushing the origin of feathers back by 70 million years.

Research carried out by UCC’s Dr Maria McNamara and scientists from China’s Nanjing University show that pterosaurs, which were flying reptiles that lived side by side with dinosaurs from 230 million to 66 million years ago, had at least four types of feathers.