Found the ancestors of modern birds

The 100-million-year-old exotic fossils found in China with bones, feathers and leg pads indicate that birds are now evolving from waterfowl.

The reconstructed image of the ancient Gansus yumenensis amphibian - the most advanced bird in the early Cretaceous period was discovered.( Photo: Mark A. Klingler / CMNH )

Dr. Peter Dodson, professor of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania (USA) and colleagues reported about 5 imperfect skeletons found 2,000 km west of Beijing.

Known as Gansus yumenensis, this pigeon-sized bird seems to seem like a tern or dive (fish-eating birds).

Scientists believe it is a flying creature as well as a complete diver, and may be one of the ancestors of modern birds.

" Gansus is very close to modern birds and has filled the gap between species that are clearly ancient birds with the explosion of birds in the early Cretaceous period, the last century of the dinosaur era, 100 million years ago ," Dodson said.


He said Gansus is the oldest example of modern close-range birds, branching from the family tree with the original ancestor, the famous creature Archeopteryx - species evolved from dinosaurs.

Nearly intact fossil of a Gansus.( Two- picture You / CAGS )

" All birds that live today, from African ostriches to bald eagles, may have evolved from a Gansus-like ancestor ," one team member said.

5 bones found dating from 115 to 105 million years. None of them were heads, but the wings, legs and pads of the specimens were very similar to the dive birds and ducks that were living, except for a few differences.

These animals do not yet have the porous, hollow skeleton that makes the body light and fluffy like modern birds, and they still have tiny claws at the tip of the wing - the part that may have caused them to fly awkwardly. than.

T. An