In 2010, a team of scientists examined numerous points among the feathers of an extremely well-preserved Anchiornis specimen in the Beijing Museum of Natural History to survey the distribution of melanosomes, the pigment cells that give feathers their color.
By studying the types of melanosomes and comparing them with those of modern birds, the scientists were able to map the specific colors and patterning present on this Anchiornis when it was alive.
Though this technique had been used and described for isolated bird feathers and portions of other dinosaurs (such as the tail of Sinosauropteryx), Anchiornis became the first Mesozoic dinosaur for which almost the entire life coloration was known (note that the tail of this specimen was not preserved).
The study found that most of the body feathers of this Anchiornis specimen were gray and black.
The crown feathers were mainly rufous with a gray base and front, and the face had rufous speckles among predominantly black head feathers.
The forewing and hindwing feathers were white with black tips.
The coverts (shorter feathers covering the bases of the long wing feathers) were gray, contrasting the mainly white main wings.
The larger coverts of the wing were also white with gray or black tips, forming rows of darker dots along mid-wing.
These took the form of dark stripes or even rows of dots on the outer wing (primary feather coverts) but a more uneven array of speckles on the inner wing (secondary coverts).
The shanks of the legs were gray other than the long hindwing feathers, and the feet and toes were black.

In 2015, a second Anchiornis fossil at the Yizhou Fossil & Geology Park was subjected to a similar study that included a survey of melanosome shapes across all the feathers.
In contrast to the 2010 study, only gray-black type melanosomes were found.
Even when the crown feathers were examined, none of the rounder, rufous-type melanosomes were seen.
The scientists who conducted this second study suggested several possible explanations for this discrepancy.
First, the different preservation of melanosomes or different investigative techniques might have influenced the results of the original study.
Second, because the Beijing Museum specimen was smaller, it is possible that the rufous color was replaced as these animals aged.
Third, it is possible that there were regional differences or even different species of Anchiornis which had different color patterns in their plumage.
In 2010, a team of scientists examined numerous points among the feathers of an extremely well-preserved Anchiornis specimen in the Beijing Museum of Natural History to survey the distribution of melanosomes, the pigment cells that give feathers their color. By studying the types of melanosomes and comparing them with those of modern birds, the scientists were able to map the specific colors and patterning present on this Anchiornis when it was alive. Though this technique had been used and described for isolated bird feathers and portions of other dinosaurs (such as the tail of Sinosauropteryx), Anchiornis became the first Mesozoic dinosaur for which almost the entire life coloration was known (note that the tail of this specimen was not preserved). The study found that most of the body feathers of this Anchiornis specimen were gray and black. The crown feathers were mainly rufous with a gray base and front, and the face had rufous speckles among predominantly black head feathers. The forewing and hindwing feathers were white with black tips. The coverts (shorter feathers covering the bases of the long wing feathers) were gray, contrasting the mainly white main wings. The larger coverts of the wing were also white with gray or black tips, forming rows of darker dots along mid-wing. These took the form of dark stripes or even rows of dots on the outer wing (primary feather coverts) but a more uneven array of speckles on the inner wing (secondary coverts). The shanks of the legs were gray other than the long hindwing feathers, and the feet and toes were black.
In 2015, a second Anchiornis fossil at the Yizhou Fossil & Geology Park was subjected to a similar study that included a survey of melanosome shapes across all the feathers. In contrast to the 2010 study, only gray-black type melanosomes were found. Even when the crown feathers were examined, none of the rounder, rufous-type melanosomes were seen. The scientists who conducted this second study suggested several possible explanations for this discrepancy. First, the different preservation of melanosomes or different investigative techniques might have influenced the results of the original study. Second, because the Beijing Museum specimen was smaller, it is possible that the rufous color was replaced as these animals aged. Third, it is possible that there were regional differences or even different species of Anchiornis which had different color patterns in their plumage.
Anchiornis