Palaeontologists in the Araripe Basin of Brazil have announced the discovery of a remarkably preserved Unenlagiine dinosaur fossil. This 'apex-hunter' from the Cretaceous period features exceptionally preserved soft tissue, including iridescent feathers and skin patterns around the snout, providing unprecedented insight into the evolution of bird-like traits in South American dinosaurs.
The fossil, nicknamed the 'Araripe Ghost,' reveals that this species utilized complex plumage for both camouflage and thermal regulation in the tropical floodplains of Gondwana. This discovery marks the first time such intricate integumentary structures have been found in a non-avian dinosaur in the Southern Hemisphere.