New dinosaur fossil challenges bird evolution theory
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences |
The
discovery of a new bird-like dinosaur from the Jurassic period challenges
widely accepted theories on the origin of flight. Co-authored by Dr Gareth
Dyke, Senior Lecturer in Vertebrate Palaeontology at the University of
Southampton, the paper describes a new feathered dinosaur about 30 cm in length
which pre-dates bird-like dinosaurs that birds were long thought to have
evolved from.
Over
many years, it has become accepted among palaeontologists that birds evolved
from a group of dinosaurs called theropods from the Early Cretaceous period of
Earth's history, around 120-130 million years ago. Recent discoveries of
feathered dinosaurs from the older Middle-Late Jurassic period have reinforced
this theory.
The new 'bird-dinosaur' Eosinopteryx described in Nature Communicationsthis week provides
additional evidence to this effect.
"This
discovery sheds further doubt on the theory that the famous fossil
Archaeopteryx -- or "first bird" as it is sometimes referred to --
was pivotal in the evolution of modern birds," says Dr Dyke, who is based
at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton.
"Our
findings suggest that the origin of flight was much more complex than
previously thought."
The
fossilised remains found in north-eastern China indicate that, while feathered,
this was a flightless dinosaur, because of its small wingspan and a bone
structure that would have restricted its ability to flap its wings.
The
dinosaur also had toes suited to walking along the ground and fewer feathers on
its tail and lower legs, which would have made it easier to run.
Dr
Gareth Dyke is also Programme Leader for a new one-year MRes in Vertebrate
Palaeontology, which offers potential students the chance to study the
evolution and anatomy of vertebrates, in order to inform and increase our
understanding of the workings of modern day creatures.
Dr
Dyke's co-authors are Pascal Godefroit of the Royal Belgian Institute of
Natural Sciences, Helena Demuynck of Earth System Science Vrije Universiteit
Brussel, Dongyu Hu of Paleontological Institute Shenyang Normal University
China and Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology Northeast Normal University
China, François Escuillié of Eldonia France and Philippe Claeys of Jilin
University Geological Museum China.
Source: University of Southampton
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Posted by Unknown
on Friday, January 25, 2013.
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