image: A Velociraptor forearm fossil show signs that the nonavian dinosaur could have had feathers. (A) Dorsal view of right ulna of Velociraptor IGM 100/981. (B) Detail of red box in (A), with arrows showing six evenly spaced feather quill knobs. In (B), a cast of IGM 100/981 was used. (C) Dorsal view of right ulna of a Turkey Vulture (Cathartes). (D) Same view of Cathartes as in (C) but with soft tissue dissected to reveal relationship of the secondary feathers and greater secondary coverts relative to the quill knobs. (E) Detail of Cathartes, with one quill completely removed to reveal quill knob. (F) Same view as in (E) but with quill reflected to the left to show relationship of quill, knob, and follicular ligament. Follicular ligament indicated with arrow. This image relates to an article that appeared in the Sept. 21, 2007, issue of the journal Science, published by AAAS. The study, by Dr. Alan H. Turner and colleagues at American Museum of Natural History in New York, N.Y., was titled "Feather Quill Knobs in the Dinosaur Velociraptor." view more
Credit: Image © Science