Fossil reveals early bird species could not fly
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Researchers in southeastern China uncovered a 150-million-year-old fossil named Yuezhuornis yangyuanensis, a crow-sized bird that lacked the ability to fly.
The team from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology and the Fujian Institute of Geological Sciences found the fossil in Zhenghe County, Fujian province, as part of the Zhenghe Fauna, a collection of Late Jurassic fossils. Yuezhuornis possessed unusually short wings and long legs, suggesting it was adapted for life on the ground.
The fossil’s proportions differed significantly from those of modern flying birds, closely resembling ground-dwelling species like pheasants. Its anatomy included a bird-like pelvis alongside dinosaurian features such as serrated teeth, a long tail, and a sickle-shaped claw on its second toe, similar to those found in predatory dinosaurs. This combination suggests Yuezhuornis hunted small prey and may have competed with non-avian dinosaurs for resources. This discovery challenges the prevailing idea that flight was the primary driver of early bird evolution.
While Archaeopteryx, another early bird from Germany, had wings suited for flight, Yuezhuornis demonstrates that early birds explored diverse body plans and lifestyles. Scientists are still investigating whether Yuezhuornis lost the ability to fly from flying ancestors or if it followed a separate evolutionary path, and further fossil discoveries are needed to fully understand the species’ history.
