dendroica:

The more we discover about dinosaurs, the more these &ldquo;terrible lizards&rdquo; resemble otherworldly birds. None more so than the microraptor, which paleontologists have meticulously reconstructed in a paper in Science. Not only was the microraptor about the size of a modern-day crow, it looked very crow-like according to paleontologists, even down to the discovery that it sported dark iridescent feathers, the first yet recorded in nature. &ldquo;This study gives us an unprecedented glimpse at what this animal looked like when it was alive,&rdquo; said co-author Mark Norell, chair of the American Museum of Natural History&rsquo;s Division of Paleontology, in a statement. &ldquo;While we&rsquo;ve nailed down what color this animal was, even more importantly, we&rsquo;ve determined that Microraptor, like many modern birds, most likely used its ornate feathering to give visual social signals.&rdquo; (via Meet the dinosaur that looks like a crow)
