neutrino said:I wonder what Randall Munroe of XKCD has to say about all this.
http://xkcd.com/87/
http://xkcd.com/135/
http://blag.xkcd.com/2007/03/04/velociraptor-safety/
I believe the History Channel did a special a couple years ago depicting all the two legged dinosaurs with feathers, including T-Rex. Some of the species, they now think, wore Dockers.B. Elliott said:
In recent years, fossil discoveries have revealed that many dinosaur species, including velociraptors, had feathers. These discoveries include fossilized feathers and quill knobs, which are bony structures that anchor feathers to the skin.
Feathers likely provided warmth and insulation for velociraptors, as well as aiding in balance and movement. They may have also served as a form of display or communication among these social creatures.
It is still debated among scientists whether all velociraptor species had feathers or only certain species. Some evidence suggests that larger species, such as the famous velociraptor depicted in Jurassic Park, may have had scales rather than feathers.
There is no way to definitively determine the color of velociraptor feathers without preserved pigmentation. However, based on other feathered dinosaur fossils, it is likely that velociraptors had a wide range of colors and patterns, similar to modern birds.
It is possible that feathers may have aided in the hunting abilities of velociraptors by providing camouflage or improving their agility and speed. However, it is also possible that feathers may have hindered their ability to grasp and attack prey with their claws, as feathers can impede movement and grip.