GoKawiilNew feathered dinosaur fossil found in China, named Norellraptor barsboldi
Researchers from China, Italy and Slovakia described a 57-centimetre fossil of a new microraptorine species, discovered by a local farmer in Liaoning province and estimated to be about three years old at death. The find, published in Nature Communications, shows feather traces on the limbs and tail of this close bird relative, which lived between 145 and 100 million years ago.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The researchers compared flight-related traits across microraptorines and early birds and found that only about 30% of 194 identified adaptations overlapped between the two groups, and these emerged in different sequences. This pattern suggests, according to the study authors, that flight-related features arose independently rather than from a single shared evolutionary pathway, reinforcing the idea that powered flight may have evolved more than once among dinosaurs and their bird relatives.
- A new feathered dinosaur species, Norellraptor barsboldi, was identified from a fossil found in China
- Only 30% of flight-related adaptations are shared between microraptorines and early birds, and they appeared in different orders
- The findings support the view that flight capability may have evolved independently multiple times rather than through one lineage
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See Nat Geo Dinosaur Encyclopedia Book on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: nature.com — Wild, 2026-10-02
Published there as: “Stunning fossil shows dinosaurs' distinctive path to flight”
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