In an article published today, which can be found here, it’s been revealed the scientists in University College Cork have found evidence that the flaking feature and many other features, which leads to dandruff, of modern mammal and bird skin evolved in the mid-Jurassic period.

The researchers found the fossilized skin flakes in fossilized dinosaur plumage from a number of feathered dinosaurs, including Microraptor, Beipiaosaurus and early birds. They studied skin flakes from modern birds using powerful electron microscopes and then comparing them with the dinosaur skin flakes.

The scientists found tough cells called corneocytes which are found in human dandruff in the skin flakes found in the plumage. This is the first piece of evidence pointing to the evolution of modern skin in the mid-Jurassic period. It is also the first evidence that dinosaurs lost their skin in flakes, rather than losing it in one, or several, large pieces like modern reptiles.