Bird fossils 90 million years help predict the future of the Earth

Scientists discovered the 90-million-year-old fossil of a new winged bird over a meter long and sharp teeth in Canada's Arctic region.

A group of geologists from the University of Rochester, USA discovered the 90-million-year-old fossil of a new bird in Canada's Arctic region, Business Insider reported Dec. 24. The bird named Tingmiatornis arctica is one of the oldest birds ever discovered in the northern hemisphere.

Tingmiatornis arctica's bones show that it looks like a hybrid between a gull and a cormorant with wingspan of more than a meter. In addition, the bird has sharp teeth and features that enable it to dive underwater.

The 90-million-year-old bird fossil is found in the Canadian Arctic.(Photo: Michael Osadciw).

The Tingmiatornis arctica fossil was discovered on a strip of lava formed after many volcanic eruptions. Volcanoes spray carbon dioxide into the Earth's atmosphere, causing a greenhouse effect that warms the climate, creating conditions for birds to thrive.

"Ecological factors such as food sources, freshwater environments and warm climates have turned this area into a wonderful habitat for Tingmiatornis arctica," said John Tarduno, Dean of the Department of Environmental Science and Earth. University of Rochester, explained.

The new bird helps to create a clearer picture of the ecosystem that existed 93.9-89.8 million years ago in the Canadian Arctic region. It is very different from today's Arctic temperature.

"Fossils show us the world scene when there is no ice in the Arctic," said Richard Bono, a PhD student at the University of Rochester School of Environmental and Earth Sciences.

This finding will provide more information about global warming that happened then, as well as forecasts about the future of climate change on Earth.