From the North (of China) came the furry tyrannosaurs

[Horridus]

New 8-metre long tyrannosaur, covered in feathers. Oh yeah.

http://archosaurmusings.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/the-giant-feathered-tyrannosaur-yutyrannus-huali/

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2012/04/04/yutyrannus-a-giant-tyrannosaur-with-feathers/

The paper http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v484/n7392/full/nature10906.html

That's Yutyrannus for you!

[Himmapaan]

Have you accidentally reported your own post by mistake, Marc? 

[Horridus]

Have you accidentally reported your own post by mistake, Marc? 

Not accidentally. I'd like it moved! It's in the wrong place.

[Himmapaan]

Ah, sorry, I missed your accompanying message. Moved now. 

[Arioch]

I give you Yutyrannus huali.

Nine meters long and more than 1 ton weight. With feathers.

Deal with it.   

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/apr/04/giant-feathered-dinosaur-china-big-fly#zoomed-picture

[Horridus]

I got there first! I got there first! *jumps up and down* http://www.dinotoyblog.com/forum/index.php/topic,228.0.html

[Arioch]

Ah, crap. Somehow neglected that section. Moving there, then.

[CityRaptor]

I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of Feather Haters suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced!

Beautiful Feathered Tyrant indeed! Also hints at being social! Also awesome! This is great news!


On the downside, it may make my avatar ( and nearly every single Tyrannosaur Toy I have ) outdated.

[suspsy]

Awesomesauce!

[Tylosaurus]

Maybe both topics could be fused?

As the feathers go, it's probably that Yutyrannus lived in a very cold climate, normally such a large animal would over heat with feathers I'd expect.
Anyways nice find Horridus! this is so cool to read.!

Update:
Ah yes indeed this says it all as the Feathers go:

"The obvious exception being animals that live(d) in cold climates like mammoths, and the researchers note that actually the environment Yutyrannus lived in was likely rather cooler on average than that occupied by a number of later tyrannosaurs, so this may indeed have helped them stay warm."

[paleoferroequine]

Ha-haw!

[DinoToyForum]

topics merged 

[Arioch]

Maybe both topics could be fused?

As the feathers go, it's probably that Yutyrannus lived in a very cold climate, normally such a large animal would over heat with feathers I'd expect.

Not necessarily. Moa birds were very big, lived in a fairly warm climate and we know for certain they had extensive feathers. Theropods, both living and extinct have rather complex respiratory systems that prevent the kind of overheating a mammal could suffer.

[Horridus]

Also, feathers are a lot more sophisticated than hair. They are actually good for regulating temperature, rather than just trapping heat - birds can also use their feathers to keep cool. Hair's a bit rubbish, really. Silly snyapsids.

[SBell]

The pictures of this new dino are amazing. THe feathers (or whatever integument it is) is so clear, even on a computer screen.

But to me the most important part is really the size of the dinosaur--up until now, most of the feathered dinos were relatively small, with maybe Beipaosaurus topping the size range. But Yutyrannus is an actual, large (coelurosaur) dinosaur. At 7-8m long, it adds more discussion to the whole idea that, at least in the tyrannosaur line, size did not preclude feathering.

And yes, now all of our toys are out of date. It was bound to happen eventually.

[Arioch]

Somehow the whole preening themselves thing would be a lot more problematic than overheating. But its no like ratite feathers need a lot more attention than fuzz and proper mammal hair....

Uh,  seems like this fella skull is not very tyrannosaur-like. More like a carnosaur, maybe carcharodontosaurid. Feathered non coelurosaurus? Please, DO WANT. 

http://www.box.com/s/07e3bcc867a4ddf112c0

[Weaver]

This topic. I just.... this Yutyrannus huali is a neat tyrannosaur and gosh, those feather filament imprints are so neat! And those pics of the skulls and jaw are way cool.

[SBell]

Somehow the whole preening themselves thing would be a lot more problematic than overheating. But its no like ratite feathers need a lot more attention than fuzz and proper mammal hair....

Uh,  seems like this fella skull is not very tyrannosaur-like. More like a carnosaur, maybe carcharodontosaurid. Feathered non coelurosaurus? Please, DO WANT. 

http://www.box.com/s/07e3bcc867a4ddf112c0

It's probably less about the skull (which of course changes through species) and more about dental structure, which appear very tyrannosauroid.  It's the same reason Proceratosaurus was eventually determined to be a tyrannosauroid as well.  Note that it is tyrannosauroid, not tyrannosaurid. Different phylogenetic level.

And hey, for people who are saying to themselves, "I need a figure of a larger species of tyrannosaur with a skull crest and feathered body," just go get the CollectA Proceratosaurus. In an amazing twist, they actually, essentially, predicted just this sort of thing!

[Tylosaurus]

Or they may have known about it and made it anyways, yet I doubt this, but it has happened with a few things, even that they were not Dino related.

[SBell]

Or they may have known about it and made it anyways, yet I doubt this, but it has happened with a few things, even that they were not Dino related.

CollectA doesn't generally have access to the ongoing research, most of the sculpts are done, or at least directed, by a British artist.