The tiny fossil of a prehistoric
baby bird is helping scientists understand how early avians came into the world
in the Age of Dinosaurs.
The fossil, which dates back to
the Mesozoic Era (250-65 million years ago), is a chick from a group of prehistoric birds called,
Enantiornithes. Made up of a nearly complete skeleton, the specimen is amongst
the smallest known Mesozoic avian fossils ever discovered.
It measures less than five
centimetres - smaller than the little finger on an average human hand - and
would have weighed just three ounces when it was alive.What makes this fossil
so important and unique is the fact it died not long after its birth. This is a
critical stage in a bird's skeletal formation. That means this bird's extremely
short life has given researchers a rare chance to analyse the species' bone structure and
development.
Studying and analysing
ossification - the process of bone development - can explain a lot about a
young bird's life the researchers say. It can help them understand everything
from whether it could fly or if it needed to stay with its parents after
hatching or could survive on its own.
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