Discovery of this new fossil could reshape bird evolution theories
Around 150 million years ago, a small, bird-like dinosaur found itself trapped in a swamp in what is now southeastern China, eventually meeting its demise. In 2022, researchers uncovered the fossilized remains of this creature, naming it Fujianvenator prodigiosus. Their findings have been published in a recent Nature paper.Commenting on the new findings, Mark Loewen, a Palaeontologist from the University of Utah, notes the uniqueness of this ancient animal. Fujianvenator displayed unusual traits, such as long legs and the potential inability to fly, challenging conventional bird-evolution narratives. Although most dinosaurs had disappeared 66 million years ago, theropods, a group characterized by three claws and hollow bones that includes Velociraptor and Tyrannosaurus rex, had already be...