Paleontologists have unearthed the fossilized remains of two Jurassic bird species at a site in Zhenghe county, Fujian province, southeast China. The 149-million-year-old fossils showcase early bird features and challenge current understanding of their origins.
According to Professor Min Wang from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, “Birds are the most diverse group of terrestrial vertebrates.” Recent studies have questioned the earliest diversification date of birds, which some suggest dates back to the Jurassic period.
One of the discovered bird species, Baminornis zhenghensis, has a short tail ending in a pygostyle – a feature also observed in modern birds. This finding pushes back the appearance of this derived bird feature by nearly 20 million years and represents one of the oldest known birds.
The discovery of Baminornis zhenghensis and another unnamed bird, represented by a single fossilized furcula (wishbone), supports previous classifications within the Ornithuromorpha group. The team’s work has significant implications for our understanding of early bird evolution and radiation in the Jurassic period.
Source: https://www.sci.news/paleontology/baminornis-zhenghensis-13664.html