Paleontologists in China have recently discovered the remains of an ancient dinosaur thought to be the earliest member of the class of birds. The Aurornis Xuilooks has much in common with the birds of today, sharing wings, feathers, a defined beak, birdlike retractable legs, and a tail. Data analysis shows that the creature lived approximately 150 million years ago. It is believed to be about 1.6 feet from head to tail. While its wings were likely not suited for full flight, they were certainly used to glide in the air for long periods of time. This new discovery further strengthens the hypothesis that dinosaurs evolved into birds over time, as a bird-like physique proved more advantageous in their changing world. The paleontologists are hoping to find more specimens of the bird so more comprehensive studies and analyses can be performed.
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It is really interesting that they found this new bird creature. The discovery of this animal fills in a huge gap in the evolution of dinosaurs. There has been a theory for a long time about dinosaurs being related to birds, and this helps to support this theory very much. I hope they find more evidence to further teach us what the dinosaurs were like.
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