Oldest-known ancestor of modern birds unearthed: Discovery of 'punk-haired' waders pushes back avian

[Judi Lynn]

Oldest-known ancestor of modern birds unearthed: Discovery of 'punk-haired' waders pushes back avian evolution 5 MILLION years

Archaeornithura specimens found in Sichakou basin in Hebei, China

Wading birds lived during Early Cretaceous period 130.7 million years ago

They are at least five million years older than previously discovered fossils

And specialised anatomy suggests evolution may have began even earlier

By Victoria Woollaston for MailOnline
Published: 05:36 EST, 6 May 2015 | Updated: 09:42 EST, 6 May 2015

The discovery of two 130-million-year-old fossils are helping experts plug gaps in the evolutionary history of modern birds.

The fossilised wading birds, found in the Hebei province of northeastern China, had fan-shaped tail feathers and fused bones at the tips of its wings similar to birds alive today.

Named Archaeornithura meemannae, the pair predate the earliest record of the ornithuromorpha family by at least five million years.


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Dubbed Archaeornithura meemannae, the species (illustrated) had fan-shaped tail feathers and fused bones at the tips of its
wings similar to modern-day birds. The bird was part of a group known as ornithuromorpha and the fossil find predates the
earliest record of this clade by five million years
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The creatures had a small projection along the edge of their wings - a feature seen in modern birds which help them manouevre during flight - as well as long, featherless legs suggesting they belonged to a wading species.

More:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3069971/Oldest-known-ancestor-modern-birds-unearthed-Discovery-punk-haired-waders-pushes-avian-evolution-5-MILLION-years.html#ixzz3ZOWC89CK

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