An international team, led by researchers from the University of Manchester, scanned a couple of fossilized birds and discovered the chemical fingerprint of pigments that once decorated the ancient birds’ feathers.

One of the scanned fossils was a 120 million-year-old bird, called Confuciusornis sanctus, which was one of the several evolutionary links between dinosaurs and birds. Another scanned fossil was of 110 million-year-old Gansus yumenensis, which is believed to be the oldest example of a modern bird.

The discovery of pigments or the colour patterns in the fossilized birds unveiled fundamental clues about the chemical reactions that took place in the ancient birds’ bodies.

The discovery also threw light on the food the ancient birds ate that triggered those reactions. The discovery was made with the help of synchrotron radiations.

Roy Wogelius from University of Manchester said that Confuciusornis sanctus’ body and the neck were black, while its wings were patchy.

Speaking on the topic, Wogelius said, “For years people had been looking at these fossils thinking that the feathers were just impressions. We showed that they have chemistry."

Palaeontologist Phil Manning from Manchester said the discovery provided an insight into the chemistry of life itself.