Some Jurassic period birds were flightless
The crow-sized fossil had short wings and dinosaur-like claws, suggesting some early birds evolved as ground-running predators.
- On Wednesday, researchers published findings in Nature detailing the discovery of Yuezhuornis yangyuanensis, a crow-sized, flightless Jurassic bird unearthed in Fujian Province, China.
- Dating to 150 million years ago, the fossil reveals a mosaic of avian and dinosaurian characteristics, challenging the traditional paradigm that early bird evolution was driven primarily by flight.
- Paleontologist Min Wang of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology noted the bird possessed 'sickle-clawed' second pedal digits and teeth similar to carnivorous dinosaurs, while limb proportions resembled those of modern pheasants.
- University of Edinburgh paleontologist Steve Brusatte described the skeleton as a 'Frankenstein monster mashup,' noting the discovery supports evidence that flight arose multiple times among early dinosaur groups.
- The discovery suggests early birds were more ecologically diverse than previously assumed, with some species potentially evolving to live on the ground or reverting to terrestrial life rather than flying.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Jurassic Fossil Hints that Some Early Birds Were Flightless
Paleontologists have described a new genus and species of early bird from the Late Jurassic Zhenghe Fauna of southeastern China. The post Jurassic Fossil Hints that Some Early Birds Were Flightless appeared first on Sci.News: Breaking Science News.
Artistic reconstruction of Yuezhuornis yangyuanensis, Jurassic bird that did not fly and live on the ground. Chung-Tat Cheung A bird that lived about 150 million years ago, in the Jurassic period, did not fly and probably spent much of the time on the ground. The new species, named Yuezhuornis yangyuanensis, was identified from a fossil found in Fujian province, southeastern China. The study, published on Wednesday (14) in the scientific journal…
Flying dinosaurs appeared during the Jurassic period of the Mesozoic era. They are Archaeopteryx, feathered dinosaurs and early birds. Research results have revealed that during the same period, there were birds that chose the ground instead of the sky. Although they are closer to modern birds than Archaeopteryx, they were incapable of flight due to their short forelimbs. This serves as evidence that the evolutionary process of dinosaurs into bi…
The Independent
Newly-discovered fossil of ‘Frankenstein’ bird leaves scientists stunned
The crow-sized Jurassic bird lived 150 million years ago
The discovery of ‘Yuezhuornis yangyuanensis’ adds new arguments to the debate about the origin of flight in the ancestors of modern birds
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