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4-Winged Proto-Bird Unearthed In China; Predates Archaeopteryx

Posted by timothy on from the four-wings-perhaps-the-earliest-insult dept.

Wired reports on a find described September 24 in a note at Nature and the day after at the annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology: a dinosaur fossil bearing true feathers on four limbs. The fossil was discovered in northeastern China, in strata believed to have been deposited between 151 million and 161 million years ago. If that estimate is correct, the newly discovered Anchiornis huxleyi is at least one million years older than the believed age of the more famous winged dinosaur Archaeopteryx.

3 of 140 comments (clear)

  1. Possible Dead end. by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It could also be a dead end in development.

    Sometimes evolutionary traits come up early then the creature dies out only to be "re-evolved" later.

    There sometimes seems to be a misunderstanding in evolution. Concepts the strongest survives, or evolution will only get better and better. Doesn't always fall true. One minor disadvantage could kill you out, allowing the weak creature to exist and thrive without your presence. Or even good traits that get killed off only to come back again.

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    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  2. Re:Well then by AndGodSed · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You know the rule; if it tastes like chicken it probably isn't.

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    Seven Days with Ubuntu Unity

  3. Ha by elrous0 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Anyone find it a little amusing that a species found in a totalitarian country is given the specific name huxleyi?

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.