Paleontologists think feathers may have first evolved to keep dinosaurs warm. But while a young T. rex probably had a thin coat of downy feathers, an adult T. rex would not have needed feathers to stay warm.

Did T. rex have feathers?

Fossils tell us that dinosaurs had scaly skin, while some may have had feathers. ... While some feathered dinosaurs flew, others did not. Unlike in the movies, the T. rex had feathers that sprouted from its head, neck, and tail.

How do they know T. rex had feathers?

Over the past few decades, however, new research has called the accuracy of that portrayal into question. Evidence of feathers was discovered on the fossils of earlier tyrannosaurs, leading scientists to believe that the king of the dinos may have boasted fluffy plumage.