A remarkable fossil discovery in China has upended scientists’ understanding of bird evolution, pushing back the timeline for modern bird features by 20 million years. The newly discovered species, named Baminornis zhenghensis, is approximately 150 million years old and features a short tail similar to today’s birds rather than the long, reptilian tail seen in other Jurassic-era bird fossils. The find, made in Fujian Province and detailed in the journal Nature, represents the first definitive short-tailed bird from the Jurassic period. Until now, paleontologists believed birds with modern characteristics didn’t appear until the early Cretaceous period, about 20 million years … Continue reading 150 Million-Year-Old Bird Fossil in China Rewrites Evolution