Paleontologists Just Found the Most Extra Bird of the Dinosaur Era
Paleontologists have discovered a new bird species from the Cretaceous period named Plumadraco bankoorum, or 'Banko's feather dragon.' This bird features exceptionally long tail feathers that are nearly twice its body length, suggesting they were used for attracting mates. The findings highlight the long-standing evolutionary trend of birds developing elaborate features for courtship displays.
- ▪Plumadraco bankoorum was discovered in Liaoning, China, and dates back approximately 121 million years.
- ▪The bird measures about 6 inches from beak to tail, while its tail feathers are around 12 inches long.
- ▪The feathers are believed to have been used for flashy displays to attract potential mates.
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How feathers evolved is somewhat of an enigma for scientists. But these typically soft, occasionally colorful appendages keep showing up in fossil records, and some of them are more impressive than others—like the twin tail feathers of a newly discovered bird from the distant past.cnx.cmd.push(function(){cnx({"playerId":"92b7b46b-43ed-4e0e-b21b-2c999302d9d7","settings":{"advertising":{"macros":{"AD_UNIT":"/23178111854/od.gizmodo.com/article","CHILD_UNIT":"article","POST_ID":"2000763953","POST_TYPE":"post","CHANNEL":"science","SECTION":"biology","SUBSECTION":"","CATEGORIES":"biology","TAGS":"fossils,paleontology","NOP":"0"},"timeBeforeFirstAd":0}}}).render("cnx-player-main")}); The new species, named Plumadraco bankoorum, or “Banko’s feather dragon,” flaunts two long, spindly tail feathers…
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