Chinese scientists reportedly have discovered a 150-million-year-old bird fossil in Fujian Province, making it the oldest short-tailed bird ever found. This remarkable find is reshaping the understanding of bird evolution, suggesting that modern bird-like features emerged 20 million years earlier than previously thought.

The fossil, named Baminornis zhenghensis, was unearthed in Zhenghe County. Unlike Archaeopteryx, the oldest previously known bird from the Jurassic period, Baminornis had a short tail ending in a pygostyle—a bone structure unique to modern birds. 

This suggests that birds were already evolving their current body structure far earlier than scientists believed.

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More ancient bird species yet to be identified

As per the reports, during the same excavation, scientists also discovered an isolated wishbone from another unidentified bird species, hinting at the presence of more early bird relatives yet to be classified.

This groundbreaking find challenges long-held theories about bird evolution, reinforcing the idea that modern birds evolved from small, feathered dinosaurs millions of years earlier than previously believed.

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