A Team of Chinese scientists has discovered a new species of feathered dinosaur dating back approximately 120 million years ago in Liaoning, a major coastal province in Northeast China, formerly known as Manchuria, bordering North Korea, Jilin, Inner Mongolia, and Hebei, widely recognized as the region’s industrial heartland and a historical cultural hub.
The finding offers fresh physical evidence to help unravel the evolutionary path of dinosaur flight and helps to better understand the origin of modern birds.
The researchers not only managed to recover the bones of the skeleton, but also the feather impressions around the dinosaur’s body, which allowed specialists to study its appearance and anatomical features.
The scientists determined that the dinosaur belonged to the group of Pennaraptoran within the dromaecsaurid family , a major clade of feathered, bird - like theropod predatory dinosaurs defined as the most recent common ancenstor of Oviraptor philoceratops, Deinonychus antirrhopus, and the modern house sparrow (Passer domesticus). Spanning from late Jurassic period to the present, they represent the lineage that led directly to modern bird.
On the forelimbs this dinosaur had large feathers similar to wings, as well asin the hinds ones, large feathers; and on the tail, long feathers that formed a broad fan - shaped structure.
The scientists note that a combination of traits like this had not been recorded before in any dinosaur known to science. According to their studies this is particularly could become an important key to understanding the evolution of flight and the origin of modern birds.
This rare discovery offers unprecedented insights into prehistoric avian evolution. Key highlights of the finding include:
• Distinctive Plumage: It is the only known pennaraptoran (a group closely related to modern birds) to have simultaneously developed large foot feathers and incredibly long, fan - shaped tail feathers.
• Peacock - like Tail: The dinosaur sported a tail with around 16 feathers, which is somewhat reminiscent of a modern peacock; s plumage.
• Family Tree: Classified within the dromaecsaurid family , it is close theropod relative of the well – known Velociraptor and Microraptor.
• Research Context: Led by renowned palaeontologist Xiu Xing of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the team findings were officially published in the journal Vertebrate PalAsiatica.
The Director of the research, Xiu Xing of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, gave the new species the name “Changzhousaurus sinensis”. The name refers to the city of Changzhou located in the eastern province of Jiangtsu, known for its work in the dissemination of dinosaur science and the development of educational - scientific tourism.
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Thanks a lot to read and note.