- Paleontologists in China have discovered a 150-million-year-old bird fossil named Yuezhuornis yangyuanensis that dates back to the Jurassic Period.
- The crow-sized species possessed small wings relative to its legs, suggesting it adapted for ground running rather than robust flight, much like a modern roadrunner.
- Found in Fujian Province, the fossil features a mix of bird and dinosaur traits, including serrated teeth, a bony tail, bird-like cranial bones, and a sickle-shaped toe claw.
- Co-led by paleontologist Min Wang and published in Nature, the study challenges traditional assumptions that early avian evolution was driven solely by flight capability.
- Outside experts emphasize that the discovery indicates the earliest birds and their close relatives had far more diverse anatomical body plans than previously believed.
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