TOKYO: Scientists have found 130-million-year-old dinosaur fossils in China of a new “punk-haired” species. They are the earliest ancestor of birds by 5 million years.
The new dinosaur species fossils were partial skeletons of the species Archaeornithura meemannae, a 6-inch-tall bird discovered in Northeast China. Scientists found the skeletons in siltstone slabs produced from sand, soil, or mud.
Birds started to split from dinosaurs on the evolutionary chain as the Jurassic period ended about 150 million years ago. Two classes of species started to develop.
The Enantiorinthes, one of the new dinosaur species discovered, had clawed wings and teeth, and was a poor flyer. It became extinct 66 million years ago.
On the other hand, the Ornithuromorpha evolved into modern birds. The oldest known ornithuromorph fossil previously dated back 125 million years ago.
The new dinosaur discovery of the oldest known ancestor of birds was in the Sichakou basin. That is located in the Hebei province.
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