DinoFest 2022 Speaker: Sarah Davis
Title of Lecture: Colorful beasts: expectations of bright coloration in extinct dinosaurs
Lecture Description: Exceptional fossils with preserved tissue and pigments have led to a revolution in our understanding of color in extinct animals. These fossils reveal that several dinosaurs expressed combinations of grey, brown, black, and even iridescent (shiny) color. However, not all kinds of coloration are expected to fossilize, including pigments that most often produce bright yellow, orange, and red colors. Sarah studies these pigments, called carotenoids, in living birds to better understand how this coloration has evolved. By examining different tissue types and dinosaur diet, Sarah will discuss which dinosaurs were most likely to express these vivid hues.
Bio: Sarah is a PhD candidate in paleontology at the University of Texas at Austin where she studies the evolution of theropod dinosaurs, including birds. Her research focusses on how living birds express bright pigments in their skin and feathers, and how this can help us better understand the potential colors of extinct dinosaurs. Sarah also conducts field work in Chilean Patagonia, investigating theropod dinosaur diversity just before the end-Cretaceous mass extinction event.