13.02.2025 18:30
The oldest short-tailed bird fossil, dating back approximately 150 million years and found in Fujian province, China, suggests that the existence of birds may date back earlier than previously thought. The fossil of the bird Baminornis zhenghensis provides an important clue to the development of the anatomy of modern birds.
Chinese scientists have unearthed the oldest short-tailed bird fossil, dating back approximately 150 million years, in the eastern province of Fujian.
The approximately 150-million-year-old fossil found in Fujian province, China, has shaken the scientific community. The fossil of the bird Baminornis zhenghensis was discovered in the Zhenghe district of Fujian province.
SHOCKED THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY
The bird's short tail ends with a composite bone called a pygostyle, which is a distinctive feature of modern birds. This indicates that the body structure of modern birds emerged 20 million years earlier than previously thought, during the Late Jurassic period.
The study conducted by researchers from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology and the Fujian Geological Research Institute was published in the latest issue of the journal Nature.