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In a groundbreaking discovery, Chinese scientists have unearthed the oldest known short-tailed bird fossil, Baminornis zhenghensis, dating back approximately 150 million years to the Late Jurassic period. This remarkable find in Fujian Province challenges previous timelines of avian evolution.
The fossil exhibits advanced anatomical features, including a fully fused pygostyle—a structure at the end of the vertebral column supporting tail feathers—indicating that modern bird characteristics emerged earlier than previously believed. This pushes back the appearance of such traits by nearly 20 million years.
The discovery of Baminornis zhenghensis suggests that avian evolution was already well underway during the Jurassic period, with birds diversifying and spreading globally. This challenges the long-standing view of Archaeopteryx as the sole early bird from that era and underscores a greater diversity among ancient avian species.
This finding not only reshapes our understanding of bird evolution but also highlights the complexity and rapid development of avian features during the Jurassic period. The fossil’s advanced characteristics, such as a shortened tail and modern pectoral and pelvic bones, indicate a more sophisticated flying capability than previously recognized in birds of that era.
The research, conducted by the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology and the Fujian Institute of Geological Survey, was published in the journal Nature.
