 Detailed examination of the "protofeathers" of "Sinosauropteryx prima" showed that individual feathers consisted of a central quill ("rachis") with thinner "barbs" branching off from it, similar to but more primitive in structure than modern bird feathers.Because feathers are often associated with birds, feathered dinosaurs are often touted as the missing link between birds and dinosaurs.However, the multiple skeletal features also shared by the two groups represent the more important link for paleontologists.