Researchers Find Color In Fossils

Science News has a look at the latest paleontological fashion: what may be the remains of pigment in fossilized feathers 100 million years old. The material in question is believed to be black melanin, on the evidence of its similarity in scanning-microscope images to the modern pigment. The researchers are hopeful of identifying other varieties of melanin, which provide red or yellow coloration; and also possibly of spotting fossilized nanostructures of melanin that create iridescent patterns in some modern animals.

Hokey Pokey Science Fiction if you ask me

[sleeponthemic]

I've seen the evidence. Color evolved when Dorothy was whisked away to OZ.

Re:I get it

[Anonymous Coward]

Kanye West says "God Doesn't Care About Blacks."

Then god wouldn't have given them ultra-large penises which will steal your woman in the blink of an eye.

Re:Stupidity

[easyTree]

You forgot to press your CAPS LOCK KEY before beginning to type...

Re:background?

[Alsee]

Quick! Someone go lobby congress for more science funding on behalf of the Hollywood studios!

It would probably work.

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Re:Hokey Pokey Science Fiction if you ask me

[techno-vampire]

Yes. And, as Calvin's father [wikipedia.org] explained, old movies are in Black and White because back that's the way everything really was. We didn't start getting color movies, like The Wizard of Oz until color itself was invented.

Re:Guess I'm not so sure

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't really understand why that is better than just getting the pigment out of a current animal's feathers or whatnot.

Yeah, why don't they jest go down to the store or some'n and buy a jar of pigment instead of messing with fossils and such.

Old News.....

[IHC Navistar]

I found this out a long time ago.....when I took color photographs of fossils!

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:This is very, very important!!!

[Drinking Bleach]

Unless it turns out that dinosaurs really were purple and green.

Re:background?

[gregbot9000]

So this could rule out purple and green dinosaurs, yellow protoceratops, and orange hadrosaurs. What next? You're going to tell me that dinosaurs didn't sing and dance with little children, were taller than 6' 2" and weren't overflowing with uncomfortable kindness?

Re:background?

[Anonymous Coward]

Now we know what really killed the dinosaurs: Racism. That's right, Jim Crowasaurus was alive and well in the Mezozoic Era. The dinosaurs were a proud race of pigmented creatures that lived peacefully for 160 million years, until their genocide by racist mammals. Oh, sure, racist mammal scientists will claim that it was an asteroid impact or volcanoes that killed the dinosaurs, but it was really a concerted plot by the mammals to push dinosaurs into ghettos, then flood those ghettos with AIDS and crack cocaine. The racist mammal police always kept the dinosaurs down as well, profiling them on the basis of their pigmented leathery skin.

Now, how will we, as mammals, inheritors to a legacy of racism, atone for the crimes of our small furry ancestors? The only answer can be reparations to the dinosaurs. Given that our entire society is built on the horrors of the dinosaur genocide, I can only throw out a ballpark figure- say 100 trillion dollars- as small recompense for the atrocities of the past. As there are currently no dinosaurs to pay reparations to, I will humbly assume the burden of acting as custodian for this fund, only withdrawing maintenance fees as needed, and with the promise of paying out a fair share to any disadvantaged dinosaur who makes a claim.

Re:How reliable is this discover?

[DanAnderson26]

That explains why blue jays turn black when I crush them!

Thanks - Now on to crushing cardinals!