Some pterosaurs may have boasted bold iridescence

Recent research reveals that at least one pterosaur species displayed vivid iridescence, a finding grounded in a validated, peer‑reviewed analysis of a 120‑million‑year‑old fossil. By integrating calibrated spectroscopic data with empirical comparisons to modern avian and reptilian plumage, scientists identified structural coloration producing shimmering greens and magentas. This longitudinal study expands our understanding of dinosaurian integument, demonstrating that complex visual signaling evolved far earlier than previously documented.