Ancient Chinese Bird Wore Tail Feathers Twice Its Body Length, Hinting at Mating Display
A newly described early Cretaceous enantiornithine bird from northeastern China, Plumadraco bankoorum, possessed tail feathers about 29.3 cm long—roughly twice its 14.9 cm body—indicating elaborate male ornamentation likely driven by female mate choice, a pattern supported by fossilized soft tissues from the Jehol Biota.