Punk-like bird is the oldest ancestor of modern birds

About 130 million years ago, the Earth was dominated by dinosaurs, from the smallest and most harmless to the carnivorous and herbivorous giants. Also flying around the planet at this time were the earliest specimens of animals that we may consider the ancestors of modern birds, those we know today.

A fossil found in the Sichakou Basin region of Hebei, northwest China, revealed yet another species of modern bird ancestor, about 5 to 6 million years older than previously known.

Called Archaeornithura meemannae, the great-great-great-great-grandfather of birds today has much in common with their offspring, such as the whole body covered with feathers except for the lower legs, probably because it inhabits flooded areas and walks in the shallow parts, but it also has quite a few characteristics. primitive for a bird, such as the claws in its hands (wings). In addition, the Archaeornithura had a beautiful Mohawk hairstyle, as we can see in the illustration representing the possible appearance of the bird.

From dinos to birds

This discovery sheds light on an area with few revelations in archeology: the passage from primitive to modern birds. There is plenty of material to study about how ancient birds evolved from common dinosaur ancestors, but the next step is still quite obscure.

According to the researchers, the discovery of this fossil indicates that many even older can be found, as it has a development already quite advanced compared to older fossils. That is, other missing links may be about to be found.