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Anchiornis huxleyi
Late Jurassic (~160 million years ago) | Liaoning Province, China
In Li et al. (2010), 29 plumage regions of specimen BMNHC PH828 were examined, reconstructing the animal's coloration th...
Anurognathidae
Middle–Late Jurassic (~164–160 million years ago) | Inner Mongolia and Liaoning Province, China
Scanning electron microscopy of two anurognathid pterosaur specimens (NJU-57003 and CAGS-Z070) revealed densely packed m...
Archaeopteryx lithographica
Late Jurassic (~150 million years ago) | Bavaria, Germany
Several studies have investigated the plumage coloration of Archaeopteryx. Based on the distribution of trace copper (a ...
Beipiaosaurus
Early Cretaceous (~125 million years ago) | Liaoning Province, China
The morphology of melanosomes identified in fossilized feathers from the neck region of specimen BMNHC PH000911 indicate...
Bohaiornithid (CUGB P1202)
Early Cretaceous (~120 million years ago) | Liaoning Province, China
Melanosome analysis of specimen CUGB P1202 demonstrated that contour feathers on the head, nape, and trunk possessed str...
Borealopelta markmitchelli
Early Cretaceous (~110 million years ago) | Alberta, Canada
In Brown et al. (2017), specimen TMP 2011.033.0001 was investigated. A total of 147 samples were taken across various pa...
Caihong juji
Late Jurassic (~161 million years ago) | Hebei Province, China
In Hu et al. (2018), a melanosome analysis was conducted across 66 plumage regions of specimen PMoL-B00175. According to...
Canadia spinosa
Cambrian Epoch 2 (~508 million years ago) | British Columbia, Canada
On the bristles of specimen USNM 202335, belonging to the polychaete worm Canadia spinosa, parallel grooves with a unifo...
Carcinosoma newlini
Late Silurian (~420 million years ago) | Indiana, USA
Kjellesvig-Waering (1958) described a specimen of the eurypterid Carcinosoma newlini from the Kokomo Dolomite that prese...
Caudipteryx zoui
Early Cretaceous (~125 million years ago) | Liaoning Province, China
Analysis of fossilized feathers across several body regions indicates a predominantly dark (black or dark grey) overall ...
Changzuiornis ahgmi
Early Cretaceous (~122 million years ago) | Liaoning Province, China
Analysis of melanosome impressions revealed elongated structures within the wing and tail plumage, indicating that these...
Coelurosauria indet. (DIP-V-15103)
Mid-Cretaceous (~99 million years ago) | Kachin State (Hukawng Valley), Myanmar
A section of the feathered tail of a juvenile coelurosaurian dinosaur (specimen DIP-V-15103) was discovered entombed in ...
Confuciusornis sanctus
Early Cretaceous (~125 million years ago) | Liaoning Province, China
In a study by Zhang et al. (2010), samples were taken from the periphery of specimen IVPP V13171. Of the more than 200 f...
Cruralispennia multidonta
Early Cretaceous (~131 million years ago) | Hebei Province, China
To assess plumage coloration, five samples were gathered from distinct regions of specimen IVPP V21711: the cranial area...
Diplodocus sp. (juvenile)
Late Jurassic (~150–145 million years ago) | Montana, USA
In Gallagher et al. (2025), several skin specimens (CMC VP 20857, CMC VP 20858, CMC VP 15915, CMC VP 10660, VP 10662, an...
Edmontosaurus annectens
Late Cretaceous (~68–66 million years ago) | USA (North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana)
To date, at least five exceptionally preserved mummified specimens of Edmontosaurus (notably AMNH 5060, SMF R 4036, and ...
Enantiornithes indet. in Burmese amber (hatchlings)
Mid-Cretaceous (~99 million years ago) | Kachin State (Hukawng Valley), Myanmar
Isolated avian wings and an exceptionally preserved, articulated enantiornithine hatchling have been recovered entombed ...
Eoconfuciusornis
Early Cretaceous (~131 million years ago) | Hebei Province, China
To evaluate the coloration of Eoconfuciusornis specimen STM7-144, 24 plumage samples were collected from various body re...
Hadrosauridae indet. (specimen YPMPU 016969)
Late Cretaceous | USA
Scanning electron microscopy of a skin fragment from specimen YPMPU 016969 revealed an amorphous organic layer without p...
Huadanosaurus sinensis
Early Cretaceous (~124 million years ago) | Liaoning Province, China
The dinosaur's body was covered in filamentous plumage. Its tail featured alternating light (likely white) and dark band...
Iteravis huchzermeyeri
Early Cretaceous (~120 million years ago) | Liaoning Province, China
Plumage samples for coloration analysis of Iteravis huchzermeyeri were collected from two areas of specimen AGB5841: a c...
Marrella splendens
Cambrian Epoch 2 (~508 million years ago) | British Columbia, Canada
Electron microscopy of specimen AM F38262 revealed microscopic parallel grooves on the outer spines of the cephalic shie...
Megalograptus ohioensis
Late Ordovician (~450 million years ago) | Ohio, USA
In their article, Caster & Kjellesvig-Waering (1964) described the in-life coloration of the eurypterid Megalograptus oh...
Microraptor sp.
Early Cretaceous (~120 million years ago) | Liaoning Province, China
To analyze melanosomes in specimen BMNHC PH881, 26 feather samples were examined across the entire body. The findings re...
Platecarpus tympaniticus
Late Cretaceous (~84–81 million years ago) | Kansas, USA
Well-preserved melanosomes were identified within the ocular region of specimen LACM 128319. While melanosomes do not re...
Protopteryx fengningensis
Early Cretaceous (~131 million years ago) | Hebei Province, China
During the examination of specimen STM7-143, a plumage sample was taken from the distal tip of an outer primary flight f...
Psittacosaurus sp.
Early Cretaceous (~125 million years ago) | Liaoning Province, China
Investigations of specimen SMF R 4970 made it possible to reconstruct the animal's entire body coloration, with the exce...
Pterorhynchus wellnhoferi
Jurassic (~164–160 million years ago) | Inner Mongolia, China
Preserved markings on the cranial crest of pterosaur specimen CAGS02-IG-gausa-2/M 608 (Pterorhynchus wellnhoferi) reveal...
Saurolophus angustirostris
Late Cretaceous (~70 million years ago) | Gobi desert, Mongolia
Alternating zones of distinctly differentiated scales were discovered along the dinosaur's tail, leading researchers to ...
Saurolophus osborni
Late Cretaceous (~70 million years ago) | Alberta, Canada
On the fossilized caudal skin of this dinosaur, scales of differing dimensions are arranged into irregular, mosaic-like ...
Serikornis sungei
Late Jurassic (~160 million years ago) | Liaoning Province, China
The coloration of Serikornis sungei has received more coverage in popular science media than in formal academic literatu...
Shangyang sp.
Early Cretaceous (~120 million years ago) | Liaoning Province, China
The coloration of the cranial crest plumage in specimen IVPP V26899 was investigated. The densely packed, asymmetric nan...
Sinopterus dongi
Early Cretaceous (~120 million years ago) | Liaoning Province, China
In Wu et al. (2026), pterosaur specimen CUGB-P2201 of Sinopterus dongi was investigated. The researchers reported a laye...
Sinornithosaurus millenii
Early Cretaceous (~125 million years ago) | Liaoning Province, China
In specimen IVPP V12811, aggregations of both eumelanosomes (responsible for black and grey hues) and pheomelanosomes (r...
Sinosauropteryx prima
Early Cretaceous (~124 million years ago) | Liaoning Province, China
The dinosaur's coloration functioned as camouflage suited for open habitats, displaying countershading with a dark dorsu...
Stenopterygius sp.
Early Jurassic (~180 million years ago) | Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Ichthyosaur coloration has been investigated in several key studies. Initially, Lindgren et al. (2014) examined the tail...
Tupandactylus imperator
Early Cretaceous (~115 million years ago) | Ceará, Brazil
An investigation of specimen MCT.R.1884 from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation revealed that melanosome morphology va...
Tylosaurus nepaeolicus
Late Cretaceous (~85–80 million years ago) | Kansas, USA
Within the fossilized scales of specimen SMU 76532, belonging to the mosasaur Tylosaurus nepaeolicus, structures morphol...
Wiwaxia corrugata
Cambrian Epoch 2 (~508 million years ago) | British Columbia, Canada
In Parker (1998), several specimens of Wiwaxia corrugata were investigated. Microscopic parallel grooves were identified...
Wulong bohaiensis (juvenile)
Early Cretaceous (~120 million years ago) | Liaoning Province, China
In Croudace et al. (2023), specimen DNHM D2933, representing a one-year-old juvenile Wulong bohaiensis, was investigated...
Yi qi
Middle–Late Jurassic (~160 million years ago) | Hebei Province, China
Yi qi was first described by Xu et al. (2015) based on specimen STM 31-2. To investigate feather melanosomes, samples we...
Yuanchuavis kompsosoura
Early Cretaceous (~120 million years ago) | Liaoning Province, China
In Wang et al. (2021), melanosomes were analyzed in the tail plumage of specimen IVPP V27883. The bird's tail exhibited ...
Ammonoidea
Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous | Global distribution (Russia, USA, Madagascar, France, Poland, etc.)
A comprehensive review by Mapes & Larson (2015) synthesized all documented instances of preserved coloration in ammonoid...
Mesozoic mammaliaforms
Jurassic, Cretaceous | China
In Li et al. (2025), pelage coloration was investigated across six Mesozoic mammal species: the Jurassic taxa Arborohara...
Orthoconic Cephalopods
Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic | Global distribution (Sweden, Czech Republic, USA, etc.)
To date, numerous shells of orthoconic cephalopods preserving distinct traces of original in-life color patterns have be...
Eggshells
Cretaceous | USA, China, Mongolia, Argentina, France
In Wiemann et al. (2015), the eggshell coloration of the oviraptorid Heyuannia huangi was analyzed by detecting molecula...
Morphologically conservative taxa
Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous | Global distribution (USA, China, Germany, UK, etc.)
The scales of numerous fossil fishes retain discernible in-life pigmentation patterns. Mesozoic insects — such as giant ...
Trilobita
Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous | Global distribution (USA, Germany, Russia, etc.)
Original in-life color patterns consisting of dark bands, stripes, and spots have been documented across the exoskeleton...