Ancient Melanosomes, Beta-Keratin Found in Fossilized Feathers of Early Cretaceous Bird "Eoconfuciusornis, a genus of crow-sized primitive birds from the Early Cretaceous Dabeigou and Huajiying Formations of China, dating from 135 to 125 million years ago, are the earliest birds to have a keratinous beak and no teeth, like modern birds. Previous studies argued that the feathers of these and other early birds and dinosaurs preserved small, round structures interpreted to be melanosomes – pigment-containing organelles that, along with other pigments, give feathers their color. However, without additional evidence, it was not possible to prove that these structures weren’t just ancient bacteria that had coated the feather during decomposition and fossilization. “Microbodies associated with feathers of both non-avian dinosaurs and early birds were first identified as bacteria but have been reinterpreted as melanosomes,” the authors said." Read more: