Fossil suggests early bird lost flight 150 million years ago
In short
- The fossil, found in China, is about 150 million years old.
- It has sharp teeth, a dinosaur-like claw and a body built for life on the ground.
- Scientists believe it is the earliest known example of flight loss in birds.
Why the Good News Desk likes this one
The find challenges the assumption that early birds all moved steadily toward flight. It suggests some lineages gave flight up after it had appeared. The account rests on a single fossil, so the claim will need more finds to test it.
From ScienceDaily
A 150-million-year-old fossil discovered in China reveals a bizarre early bird with sharp teeth, a dinosaur-like claw, and a body built for life on the ground rather than flight. Scientists believe it represents the earliest known example of flight loss in birds, overturning assumptions about how these animals evolved.
Ask this story
For kids
Long ago, a bird lived in China. It had teeth like a dinosaur and it walked on the ground. Scientists think it may have stopped flying, which is surprising. Talk about it: why might a bird give up flying?
