scales that peel off
The eggshell crumbled away with a crackling sound, completely exposing the skin covered with “jet-black scales” from within. It had the texture of cold, hard armor, the opposite of a bird’s feathers. Miller retrieved the flaked piece with trembling tweezers and immediately submitted it to a quick appraisal. When the resulting data came out, his fingertips stopped and he stood there stunned. What in the world were the genes of this life form pointing to?
