Precursor To Hummingbirds: Near-perfect Fossil Specimen Reveals New Species
By James A. Foley
May 01, 2013 11:27 AM EDT
Twelve centimeters from head to tail, E. rowei was an evolutionary precursor to the group that includes today's swifts and hummingbirds.
(Photo : Contributed by Lance Grande of the Field Museum of Natural History)
Superbly fossilized remains of a new species of bird thought to be a precursor to modern hummingbirds and swifts have been discovered by researchers examining a fossil collection from Wyoming.
The nearly complete, palm-sized skeleton of the bird is being lauded for its exceptionally well-preserved feathers, which enable the researchers to reconstruct the size and shape of the bird's wings in ways not possible with bones alone.
The bird, named Eocypselus rowei, lived roughly 50 million years ago.
The tiny bird was only 12 centimeters from head to tail; feathers account for more than half of the bird's total wing length.
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http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/1683/20130501/precursor-hummingbirds-near-perfect-fossil-specimen-reveals-news-species.htm
