Fossil reveals feathered gliding dinosaur that may have hunted birds 120 million years ago

The story of dinosaurs continues to surprise scientists. A fossil found in China has revealed a previously unknown species of feathered dinosaur that may have glided through trees and hunted ancient birds millions of years before modern birds existed.

The research team has named the dinosaur Jian changmaensis, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Annals of Carnegie Museum. The discovery is helping researchers better understand a little-known group of small dinosaurs known as Microraptors and how they may have moved through the air.

Why this fossil is getting attention

The fossil was found in the Changma Basin in northwestern China, a region where researchers have uncovered more than 100 bird fossils over the years.

What makes this discovery stand out is that it is the only confirmed Microraptor fossil found outside northeastern China.

“Jian changmaensis reveals that non-avian dinosaurs lived in what is now the Changma Basin, an area famous for its fossil birds,” said study coauthor Dr. Matt Lamanna.

“Our team has recovered more than one hundred bird fossils at Changma, but only this single non-avian dinosaur specimen. Jian provides critical new information on the biological history of the Changma region and the ecological context of the ancestors of today’s birds.”

A dinosaur that looked surprisingly bird-like

Microraptors were related to Velociraptors, but they looked very different.

Their bodies were covered in feathers, and they had long feathers on both their arms and legs. Scientists believe these features may have helped them glide from tree to tree.

“If you saw that thing sitting in a tree, you wouldn’t think 'velociraptor' from ‘Jurassic Park,’” Lamanna told CNN. “This is an extraordinarily birdlike dinosaur that could take to the air to some degree.”

Researchers estimate that Jian changmaensis was about the size of a barn owl.

Ancient birds may have been its prey

Scientists think living in trees may have helped Microraptors stay away from larger predators on the ground.

“Maybe these things started out on the ground; they started climbing, and then once they’re up in the trees, you know, they evolve features to help them stay,” Lamanna said.

Previous discoveries have shown that some microraptors ate birds. Based on that evidence, researchers believe Jian changmaensis may also have fed on ancient birds living in the same region.

What the fossil revealed

The fossil includes well-preserved shoulder and wing bones. One of the shoulder bones contains a distinctive opening that researchers commonly see in microraptors.

Scientists are still studying what role this feature played, but they think it may have been linked to gliding or flight.

“It could have something to do with gliding or something about animals that are on the line to birds changing their shoulder structure to become more suited to flight effectively,” Lamanna said.

Why scientists are excited

The fossil was preserved in three dimensions, something that is rare for Microraptor remains. Researchers say this could help them better understand how these animals moved through the air.

“This is neat, a new fossil of those dinosaurs that were basically on the cusp of becoming true birds,” said Steve Brusatte, a professor of paleontology and evolution at the University of Edinburgh.

“It also expands the geographic range and helps show the diversity in anatomy of this group, all of which is important in determining where, when, and who among them could use aerial locomotion,” said T. Alexander Dececchi, assistant professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota.

“It also likely represents a different paleoenviroment, which, when added to our knowledge of the diverse diets these guys had, suggests that though all but one suspected Microraptorine are from northeastern China, within that area and time they were a common and widespread component of the ecosystem.”

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