An international team of researchers has published a groundbreaking study in Nature, revealing that early reptiles from the Triassic period had distinctive skin structures that served as an alternative to feathers. Body coverings like hair and feathers have played a vital role throughout evolutionary history. They provided insulation that supported warm-bloodedness and served functions such […]



Summary

A new Nature study reveals early Triassic reptiles possessed unique skin structures acting as evolutionary precursors to feathers or hair. This international team’s research highlights these previously unknown structures, suggesting reptiles developed alternative methods for insulation and thermoregulation before the emergence of feathers in dinosaurs and hair in mammals. This discovery sheds light on the diverse ways early reptiles adapted to environmental pressures, suggesting alternative evolutionary pathways toward warm-bloodedness and other functions typically associated with feathers and hair. The study broadens our understanding of the evolution of body coverings and their impact on the development of warm-bloodedness.

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