A dinosaur from China sported a "bandit mask" pattern in the feathers on its face, scientists have said. Researchers came to their conclusion after studying three well-preserved fossil specimens of the extinct creature, called Sinosauropteryx.

They were able to discern the dinosaur's colour patterns, showing that it had a banded tail and "counter-shading" - where animals are dark on top and lighter on their underside.

The study appears in Current Biology.

The bandit mask pattern is seen in numerous animals today, from mammals - such as raccoons and badgers - to birds, such as the nuthatch.

"This is the first time it's been seen in a dinosaur and, to my knowledge, any extinct animal that shows colour bands," co-author Fiann Smithwick, from Bristol University, told BBC News.