Dinosaur coloration is generally one of the unknowns in the field of paleontology, as skin pigmentation is nearly always lost during the fossilization process. However, recent studies of feathered dinosaurs and skin impressions have shown the colour of some species can be inferred through the use of melanosomes, the colour. The Elusive Nature of Dinosaur Color Determining the coloration of dinosaurs has historically presented a significant challenge to paleontologists.
The primary limitation stems from fossilization, which rarely preserves soft tissues like skin and pigment. How do we know what color dinosaurs were? Direct fossil evidence for dinosaur skin color is unknown. Paleontologists think that some dinosaurs likely had protective coloration, such as pale undersides to reduce shadows, irregular color patterns ("camouflage") to make them less visible in vegetation, and so on.
Dinosaurs, while depicted as shades of green, and brown were actually many different colors. Research by Jakob Vinthers has discovered melanosomes in fossilized dinosaurs that is redefining color preconceptions. Dinosaur color examples include a black microraptor, a red Anchiornis and chestnut brown Sinosauropteryx.
So what colours were the dinosaurs, really? And how do we know? One scientist we have to thank for the answers to both questions is Jakob Vinther, an associate professor in macroevolution at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. Ever since the first fossilized dinosaur feathers were reported in 1996, scientists had noticed round microscopic structures within them. Scientists are decoding ancient pigments to reveal the true colors of dinosaurs, from skin to feathers.
See what they've discovered. What colour were the dinosaurs? If you have a picture in your head, fresh studies suggest you may need to revise it. New fossil research also suggests that pigment.
Thanks to films like Jurassic Park, we tend to assume that dinosaurs were mostly dark green, grey or brown in colour. The idea of stripy dinosaurs, or those with bright colours, seemed the stuff of stories or family theatre shows. However, research in the past 20 years has shown that many of these prehistoric creatures were much more flamboyant than we thought.
The key is studying these really tiny structures called melanosomes which tell us what pigments or color particles could be on the dinosaur. Scientists can use these clues to estimate what color a dinosaur might be. By studying these pigments, scientists have even found that some dinosaurs might have rainbow.