The Duonychus tsogtbaatari fossils preserve the keratin sheath that covered its bony claw. Photograph by Kobayashi, et, al Dinosaur claws were made of bone covered in keratin sheaths, the same ...

Moreover, this keratinous covering was far more substantial than previously constructed. The Borealopelta fossil, which preserves the most armor, shows that keratin sheaths increased the linear ...

One digit's preserved keratin sheath reveals the claw was much longer than the underlying bones. The dinosaur likely had feathers and could defend itself with its sharp claws when necessary.

Its most striking feature was its two curved claws about 30 centimeters long on each hand, equipped with preserved keratin sheaths—an exception in paleontology since keratin rarely fossilizes.

Paleontologists unearthed the fossil in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert, and the find is unique because of a sheath preserved on one of the digits, which reveals the claw’s true length.

Unusually, the claw sheaths – made of keratin, the same material as our fingernails – have been preserved. “Keratin usually doesn’t fossilise. It decays long before bones do,” says ...

Its most striking feature was its two curved claws about 30 centimeters long on each hand, equipped with preserved keratin sheaths—an exception in paleontology since keratin rarely fossilizes.

Instead, the keratin sheaths allow for flexibility, and can easily be removed if it does get damaged — similar to trimming a broken nail instead of needing to heal a living broken bone.

Instead, the keratin sheaths allow for flexibility, and can easily be removed if it does get damaged — similar to trimming a ...

But in life, the actual claw would have been covered in a thick keratin sheath, making it longer and more curved." The research was published in iScience. Related News.