Fossil of first known perching bird found
Fossil of first known perching bird found
Specimen holds clues to the origin of more than half of current bird species.
By Jason Goodyer
17th April, 2019 at 00:00
The fossilised remains of what could be the earliest example of a passerine bird have been unearthed in Wyoming, USA, according to a paper published in Current Biology. The remains are believed to date back to the early Eocene, 52 million years ago.
Passerine birds are those that have feet adapted for perching and account for approximately 6,500 of the 10,000 bird species alive today. But scientists are unsure of their origins.
“It’s fascinating because passerines today make up most of all bird species, but they were extremely rare back then,” said Dr Lance Grande, an author of the paper. “This particular piece is exquisite; it’s a complete skeleton with the feathers still attached, which is extremely rare in the fossil record of birds.”
Eofringillirostrum boudreauxi, as the bird has been dubbed, is the earliest example of a bird with a finch-like beak.
More:
https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/fossil-of-first-known-perching-bird-found/