Discovered the ancient bird lung intact after 120 million years

A group of scientists have just announced that they have discovered fossilized lungs of a bird dating back about 120 million years.

The lungs were discovered at Shandong Tianyu Nature Museum (China), where a fossil enthusiast collected thousands of bird specimens he had bought for decades.

Up to now, this 'tubular lung pocket' is believed to be the oldest fossil lung found in birds. This is a finding that helps families better understand the evolutionary history of birds.

The bird's lungs are found to resemble pigeons.

The bird's lungs are found to resemble the dove, the fifth fossil to be found and it is also the best preserved fossil over time. According to scientists, modern bird lungs are very similar to fossil lung structures found in the dinosaur period.

Birds' lungs are different from other animals in that they have many air pockets that help birds breathe in large amounts of oxygen. Humans and other mammals have lower levels of oxygen in the lungs than birds.

Professor Martin Sander, an ancient scientist at the University of Bonn in Germany, who did not participate in the study, told Live Science, that researchers should be cautious before concluding because an organ is rarely seen. Whichever is well preserved.

'We should apply different techniques to confirm that the fossil just found is actually the lungs. But I'm not surprised if the lungs can fossilize because the iron content in the lungs is very high, ' Professor Sander said.