A spectacularly preserved new Chinese fossil reveals a previously unseen stage in the early evolution of flight.
Called Eoconfuciusornis, it is a missing link between the oldest known bird, Archaeopteryx, and more advanced birds that have been discovered in the Yixian geological formation in China.
The Yixian deposits have yielded remarkably diverse fauna that have revolutionised avian palaeontology, but they are limited to a period from 125 to 120 million years ago - too narrow a time span to show much evidence of evolution within bird lineages.
A huge interval separates the Yixian birds from Archaeopteryx, which lived about 150 million years ago, leaving a gap in scientists' knowledge of bird evolution over this period.
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iinsurgent
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this name i can't pronounce. no fun =[
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daniellamarie29
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oh wow. Interesting story.
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5:25 pm on May 25, 2008 | Joined May 2008 | 14 Days Active Join to learn more about daniellamarie29New York, United States | StraightFemale | 1010 Posts | 1162 Points
amazing! i knew the fossil records didnt quite fit
It does. There are a massive amount of transitional fossils.
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5:29 pm on May 25, 2008 | Joined April 2006 | 500 Days Active Join to learn more about MoridinSweden | AsexualMale | 11131 Posts | 17060 Points
Reconciliation
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thats pretty cool
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A spectacularly preserved new Chinese fossil reveals a previously unseen stage in the early evolution of flight. 
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