2026年2月托福机经套卷(第6套) - Read an Academic Passage Q3

Dinosaur Feathers Paleontologists once thought dinosaurs were completely covered in scales. Recent discoveries have overturned this idea. Fossils found in China reveal some dinosaurs had feathers. These fossils, dating back approximately 126 million years, show traces of feathers around skeletons. The feathers were not for flight but likely for insulation or display. One significant find was the feathered dinosaur Sinosauropteryx. This small, meat-eating dinosaur had simple, hairlike feathers on its body. This discovery showed that feathers were more common among dinosaurs than previously thought. Another discovery involved the larger, more complex feathers of Caudipteryx. These feathers were similar to those of modern birds, suggesting that feathers evolved in stages, becoming more sophisticated over time. Researchers are now studying how feathered dinosaurs might have used their plumage. Some theories suggest that feathers helped regulate body temperature, while other theories propose that feathers were used for mating displays or camouflage. Understanding feather function in dinosaurs provides insights into their behavior and evolution. The idea that birds are direct descendants of dinosaurs has gained support from the findings about feathers. Fossil evidence reveals that many theropod dinosaurs, such as Velociraptor, had feathers similar to those of modern birds. These similarities in feather structures, including quill knobs and complex branching patterns, strengthen the theory that birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs.