Ancient Bird Flaunted a Tail Twice Its Body Length in a Dino‑Era Display
TL;DR Summary
A newly described Cretaceous bird, Plumadraco bankoorum (Banko’s feather dragon) from 121 million-year-old China, possessed two tail feathers about 12 inches long—roughly twice its 6-inch body—likely used in elaborate mate displays; the fossil, well-preserved and found in Liaoning, was described in PLOS One and suggests long-running evolution of ornamental features in birds.
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- 'Feathered dragon' has some of the longest tail feathers ever found on a fossil bird Phys.org
- Ancient Bird Species from Liaoning, China Exhibits Extra-Long Tail Feathers Bioengineer.org
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