It has remained encased in amber for nearly 100 million years, from the Cretaceous period until today. It is a small bird, which enjoys a primacy: it is the best preserved specimen from the time of the dinosaurs
It remained enclosed inAmber for nearly 100 million years, from the period Cretaceous until today. It's a little one little bird, which enjoys a record: it is the best preserved specimen from the time of the dinosaurs.
Il fossil it was bought in Myanmar in 2014 by Guang Chen, director of the Hupoge Amber Museum in Tengchong, China, after hearing about an amber sample with a strange lizard inside. The Hukawng Valley in Myanmar northern it probably preserves the greatest variety of animal and plant life from the Cretaceous period.
Chen brought the stone to Lida Xingof of the University of Geosciences of China, who identified the claw as the paw of a enantiornite. A deeper analysis allowed to discover that it was the more complete specimen of prehistoric bird found by man.
Amber contained a small volatile which retained most of the skull and neck, much of a wing and the soft tissue of the tail. All this allowed scientists to understand that it was a specimen of enantiornite.
These animals lived only in the Cretaceous period, between 120 and 65 million years ago, but they died out without leaving any descendants. Most possessed clawed wings and a toothed mouth.
The specimen found in the amber was equipped with plumagedespite his tender age. According to scientists, this could mean that the little ones were too able to fly and were less dependent on parental care than current birds.
However, this independence came at a cost. The slow growth rate made these ancient birds vulnerable longer, as evidenced by the high number of young enantiornites found in amber fossils.
Partly financed by the Expeditions Council of the National Geographic Society, this discovery provides important information about these ancient toothed birds and how they differ from modern "cousins".
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Feathered Dinosaur Tail Hidden in Amber: The Historical Discovery (PHOTO)
The little creature, nicknamed Belone and set forever in amtra, is currently on display at theHupoge Amber Museum and will move to the Shanghai Natural History Museum for a special exhibition between 24 June and the end of July 2017.
Francesca Mancuso
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