Colour-changing dinosaur uncovered

Scientists have discovered the first dinosaur that was able to change the colour of its skin. Using the fossils of the Chinese psittacosaurus, a team at the University of Bristol found that it used a type of camouflage called counter-shading as a defence mechanism. It would have been able to make the underside of its body light and the upper portion darker to give the appearance of being flat.

Paleontologist and co-author of the study Jakob Vinther said: “We predicted that the psittacosaur must have lived in a forest.”

Psittacosaurus means “parrotlizard”, due its parrot-like beak.