Discover the most bird-like fossil flying dinosaurs

Flying dinosaurs that once lived in Jurassic have many similar characteristics to modern birds.

Paleontologists from Ludwig-Maximilians University and the University of Friborg of Germany found fossils of a flying dinosaur that flapped new wings from the Jurassic period, considered the most bird-like ever, in Bavaria , southeast of this country. The discovery may hold an important clue about how modern birds evolved from their reptilian ancestors.

Poeschli Alcmonavis is considered the most bird-like flying dinosaur.(Photo: Times of Malta).

The new dinosaur was named Alcmonavis poeschli , based on the name of a river near the place where fossils were found. Initially, the team believed that the skeleton was of an Archaeopercx, a small feathered dinosaur (about the size of today's crow) that inhabits wetlands 150 million years ago. However, the following detailed fossil analyzes showed many differences.

Roland Poeschl, lead researcher, said Alcmonavis poeschli was significantly larger than the Archaeopercx. Fossils also have many notches in the wings, allowing them to actively flap their wings. This feature is found in modern birds but not in Archaeopercx.

The new finding is controversial among experts about whether flying birds and dinosaurs have developed the ability to flap wings from previous surfers. Christian Foth from the University of Friborg, co-author of the study believes that the evolution of their flapping ability has progressed relatively quickly. The study was published in the journal eLife Science.

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