Incredibly well-preserved dinosaur fossils have revealed clues about the true colour of their feathers for the very first time.

Fossils found in Jehol in the north-east of China suggest that Sinosauropteryx had white and orange stripes in the primitive feathers that ran down its back and tail. Experts found structures in the fossilised feathers called melanosomes, which are responsible for giving colour to various modern animals and even human hair.

See the story in the 5 February issue of First News for more details.

Illustration by Jim Robbins