Scientists in China have unearthed the fossil of a bird-like dinosaur named Fujianvenator prodigiosus, which lived in southeast China about 148 to 150 million years ago.
Main point
- This dinosaur had long feather-like arms and legs, its anatomy suggests that it may have been a fast runner or lived like a modern bird.
- Fujianvenator is a member of a group called avialans which includes all birds and their closest non-avian dinosaurs.
- Researchers believe the Fujianvenator sheds light on an important evolutionary step in the origin of birds.
- A notable event in the evolution of dinosaurs occurred when small feathered two-legged dinosaurs from the lineage known as theropods gave rise to birds at the end of the Jurassic period.
- The oldest known bird is Archaeopteryx. It was in Germany about 150 million years ago.
Features
- It is being described as a strange animal which has bird-like features but also has some differences, like – its wings, three toes etc.
- The discovery of Fujianvenator contributes to the understanding of the evolutionary history of birds, which evolved from bipedal and feathered dinosaurs known as theropods during the late Jurassic period.
- The fossil is missing parts of the skull and legs, making it challenging to determine its exact lifestyle and diet.
- Fujianvenator’s lower leg bone (tibia) was twice as long as its thigh bone (femur). What distinguished it from other theropods, such as Tyrannosaurus, was also the presence of a long bony tail.