Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery that pushes back the record of birds breeding in the polar regions by 25-30 million years. A team of researchers found fossils of ancient bird species nesting alongside dinosaurs in the Arctic, dating back to 73 million years ago.
The findings were published in the journal Science and are based on dozens of tiny fossilized bones and teeth from an Alaska excavation site. The team identified multiple types of birds, including diving birds that resembled loons and gull-like birds, which were breeding in the Arctic during the time of the dinosaurs.
“This is a game-changer,” said Pat Druckenmiller, senior author of the paper and director of the University of Alaska Museum of the North. “The Arctic is considered the nursery for modern birds, and now we know they’ve been doing it for 73 million years.”
The discovery was made at the Prince Creek Formation, an area along the Colville River on Alaska’s North Slope known for its dinosaur fossils. The team found over 50 bird bones and bone fragments, which are significant because bird bones are typically fragile and easily destroyed.
“We put Alaska on the map for fossil birds,” Druckenmiller said. “This discovery is a testament to the value of an uncommon excavation and research approach at the Prince Creek Formation.”
The findings have far-reaching implications for our understanding of the evolution of birds and their behavior in the Arctic during the Cretaceous Period. Further study is needed to determine whether the discovered fossils are part of the modern bird group, Neornithes, which includes all modern birds.
Source: Lauren N. Wilson et al, Arctic bird nesting traces back to the Cretaceous, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.adt5189
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-05-birds-dinosaurs-arctic-fossil-polar.html