All articles tagged with #microraptorinae
A newly described 57-centimeter dinosaur, Norellraptor barsboldi, from 120-million-year-old Chinese rock beds, provides strong evidence that flight evolved independently in birds and their closest non-avian relatives. While sharing about 30% of anatomical features with birds, the sequence of these adaptations differs, challenging the idea of a shared ancestral flight blueprint.
Scientists describe Jian changmaensis, a large microraptorine dromaeosaurid from China's Xiagou Formation in the Changma Basin (Early Cretaceous, about 124–120 million years ago). With an estimated four‑foot wingspan, it likely had long feathers on both arms and legs, forming four wings for gliding rather than powered flight. Discovered at a bird‑rich site that has yielded over 100 Early Cretaceous bird skeletons, this find extends Microraptorinae’s range to northwestern China and provides new insights into the evolution of early birds and their non‑avian relatives. The study is published in the Annals of Carnegie Museum.