Re: feathered T. Rex

["T. Michael Keesey" <mightyodinn@yahoo.com>]

--- Jack Ruttan <jackr@axess.com> wrote:
> 
> Anyhow, the dinosaurs I draw look more like they come from pokemon, but I had
> a 
> question, which searching through Yahoo didn't seem to help. Are there any
> good pictures 
> or models with an informed guess at what T. Rex looked like with feathers? 
> 
> My idea is something like a huge toothy vulture, but the drawings I've seen
> seem to have 
> frills and decorations like secretary birds. Does anyone have the time to
> point me in the 
> right direction, or at least tell me what search terms to use? 

I don't see how informed they could be, since the details of _Tyrannosaurus_'
skin are entirely unknown. The only bits of evidence we have are:
1) A small patch of preserved skin impression from another tyrannosaurid's
tail, showing scales.
2) The commonly accepted idea that tyrannosauroids are roughly about as closely
related to the fully feathered "higher maniraptors" (i.e., oviraptorosaurs,
therizinosaurus, paravians) as compsognathids (including _Sinosauropteryx_)
are.

Thus the best guess right now would be scaly tail, but some form of
protofeathers present (possibly present only in juveniles). The exact
distribution would be unknown, but as most coelurosaurs (for which feather
patterns are known) are featherless on the pedes and rostral portion of the
snout, those, along with the tail, are probably safe bets as being scaly.

But, like I said before, it's really utterly unknown. The only thing I wouldn't
do is use real maniraptoran (i.e., avepinnan) feathers.

=====
=====> T. Michael Keesey <http://dino.lm.com/contact>
=====> The Dinosauricon <http://dinosauricon.com>
=====> Instant Messenger <Ric Blayze>
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