Completion of Studies on Dinosaur Fossil 'Quasi-Bird'; Filling the Evolutionary Gap of Birds

With the completion of studies on a 150-million-year-old dinosaur fossil, geologists say this dinosaur, which despite its 'quasi-bird' appearance was unable to fly, likely represents a precursor to the emergence of birds. The scientific journal 'Nature' announced on Wednesday, September 6, the results of paleontologists' research on the fossil of Fujianvenator, discovered last year in Fujian province in southeastern China, stating that this dinosaur is one of the earliest 'bird-like' dinosaurs that lived during the Jurassic period and had strangely thin legs, likely lacking the ability to fly. Mark Lowen, a paleontologist at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, says, 'The discovery of this dinosaur does not align with accepted narratives of bird evolution and will likely lead to fundamental changes in the understanding of this species' evolution with further studies.' Dinosaurs had largely gone extinct 66 million years ago, but a group known as 'theropods,' characterized by three claws and hollow bones, began evolving into modern birds. Many paleontologists consider the first bird to be the 150-million-year-old feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx, whose fossils were previously found in Germany. However, new studies on the fossil of Fujianvenator (Fujianvenator prodigiosus) indicate that dinosaurs had already diversified into various types of birds before the emergence of Archaeopteryx. According to scientists, the Fujianvenator species had limited flying capabilities, but its shoulder blade was shortened and its fingers were specialized for grasping. Strangely, the excessively long hind legs of this species, where the shin bone is twice as long as the thigh bone, could have made this creature a very skilled runner. Geologists hope that with further studies or the discovery of more fossils from the Fujianvenator species, some questions regarding the early evolution of birds can be answered.