Paleontologists have examined the fossilized headcrest of Tupandactylus imperator, a species of tapejarid pterosaur that lived in north-eastern Brazil some 115 million years ago (Early Cretaceous epoch). An artist’s reconstruction of Tupandactylus imperator, showing the feather types along the bottom of the headcrest: dark monofilaments and lighter-colored branched feathers. Image credit: Bob Nicholls. Feathers are remarkable integumentary innovations...
