You can't wish for better preservation than this unnamed, 135 million year old juvenile theropod from Bavaria. Not only is the skeleton 98% complete, but there are also traces of skin and possible proto-feathers. This amazing specimen was unveiled in the Bavarian paleontological and geological collections (BSPG) in Munich, Germany last week.
Can't wait to see the taphonomic analysis for this guy! Arching back of the neck normally suggests sub-aerial exposure/dessication, which would explain the preservation of skin/proto-feathers. But how did it remain undisturbed before burial and fossilisation? We shall have to wait and see...
Can't wait to see the taphonomic analysis for this guy! Arching back of the neck normally suggests sub-aerial exposure/dessication, which would explain the preservation of skin/proto-feathers. But how did it remain undisturbed before burial and fossilisation? We shall have to wait and see...
The new juvenile theropod under UV light. Photo by Helmut Tischlinger.
