Date of first de-extinction?
MetaculusFEB 22 2024
Chinese scientists have discovered a 150M-year-old bird fossil named Baminornis zhenghensis in Fujian Province, making it one of the oldest known birds alongside Archaeopteryx, representing only the second confirmed Jurassic bird specimen.
Unlike Archaeopteryx's reptilian features, Baminornis possessed a short tail with a pygostyle — a modern bird characteristic that improves flight capability by shifting the body's center of mass toward the wings — pushing back this evolutionary feature by 20M years.
The study, published in the journal Nature, found the quail-sized Baminornis measuring about six inches long, displaying a unique combination of features including modern bird-like shoulder and pelvic girdles, while retaining some primitive characteristics such as dinosaurian-like hands.
This study aligns with the recent discovery of a section of bird DNA that didn't mix for millions of years, misleading scientists about bird relationships. This anomaly, dating back to the dinosaur extinction, could explain why bird fossils from much earlier than expected are now being found, reshaping our understanding of avian evolution.
Studies like this bring us closer and closer to a full understanding of the Jurassic period, including the origins of dinosaurs. Their potential undiscovered origins in equatorial regions, for example, suggest vast unexplored territories. As fossil record gaps prove our understanding remains incomplete, more research is needed.