[REVISION HISTORY]

Discovery of Norellraptor barsboldi in China

Updated 2 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-11 04:41 UTC → 2026-10-22 11:41 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Paleontologists have identified a new species of small, feathered dinosaur, Norellraptor barsboldi, in the Jiufotang Formation of Liaoning, China. The nearly complete 57-centimeter skeleton dates back to the Early Cretaceous period, approximately 120 to 145 million years ago. Research published in Nature Communications by an international team, including scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Italy, suggests that the ability to fly may have evolved through convergent evolution rather than a single linear path. The specimen, described as a microraptorine predator that was approximately three years old at the time of death, shares roughly 30 percent of certain anatomical adaptations with avialans. However, researchers determined that the evolutionary paths to flight were distinct. The sequence of bone transformations and morphological flight characteristics differs significantly between the two groups, indicating that the anatomical adaptations required for flight occurred through “parallel experimentation” rather than being inherited from a single common ancestor. Further analysis of the exceptionally well-preserved fossil highlights that the species featured four sets of feathered limbs and a long, plumaged tail. This discovery challenges previous theories regarding the simultaneous development of flight capabilities in prehistoric birds and microraptorines, reinforcing the idea that flight-related characteristics evolved independently in different groups.

Versions

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.