Fossil reveals bizarre gliding creature that hunted birds 120 million years ago
KSL • • science
Key Points:
- A 120 million-year-old fossil discovered in northwestern China reveals a new species of microraptor, named Jian changmaensis, expanding both the known geographical range and timeline of these feathered, predatory dinosaurs.
- Jian changmaensis is the only microraptor specimen found outside northeastern China, providing crucial insight into the biological history and ecological context of the Changma Basin, an area previously known mainly for fossil birds.
- Microraptors were small, birdlike dinosaurs with feathers on both their arms and hind legs, likely capable of gliding between trees, which offers new clues about the origins of avian flight.
- The fossil’s distinctive shoulder bone feature, the supracoracoid fenestra, unique to microraptors, suggests adaptations related to flight, highlighting their evolutionary position close to early birds.
- Experts note that discoveries like Jian changmaensis help clarify the blurry line between non-avian dinosaurs and early birds, emphasizing that modern birds are the closest living relatives of dinosaurs.