Scientists have discovered the remains of a 99-million-year-old bird fossilized in amber in Myanmar.
The bird’s 2.4 inch frame was found in the most complete fossil that has ever been discovered, according to People’s Daily Online.
The bird was preserved in Myanmar’s Hukawng Valley, a region that is known for its amber deposits.
It was born 99 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period, according to Lida Xing, lead author of a research paper written about the bird’s remains.
Scientists have discovered the remains of a 99-million-year-old bird in Myanmar. The remains compose the most complete fossil that has ever been discovered
Luis M. Chiappe, who also authored the paper, said the creature was the size of the world’s smallest bird, the bee hummingbird, which is found mainly in Cuba.
The team that made the discovery also found a seven-centimeter bird last June, which was also preserved in amber.
And in December 2016 they found the remains of the tail of a non-avian dinosaur.
The new fossil sheds light on the creature’s skull, left forelimb, spine, thighbone and pelvis, researcher Zou Jingmei said.
National Geographic reported that the new bird fossil contains more skeletal remains than any previously discovered bird fossils.
Ryan McKellar, who worked on the research, told National Geographic: ‘When it was being prepared in Myanmar, they polished through the front half of the specimen, which gave us an exposed view into the chest cavity and the skull.’
In addition to teaching scientists about the bird’s bones, the fossil has revealed much about the creature’s insides.
The new fossil sheds light on the creature’s skull, left forelimb, spine, thighbone and pelvis, researcher Zou Jingmei said. An artist’s impression is pictured
HOW RARE IS THE NEW BIRD FOSSIL?
Scientists recently discovered a 99-million-year-old bird fossilized in amber in Myanmar.
One of the researchers, Lida Xing, told National Geographic that only about six such fossils have been discovered.
Xing explained that the new discovery marks the second bird fossil to be analyzed by scientists and publicized in a scientific journal.
He found the fossil being sold for jewelry in Myanmar, and Xing said his heart rate rose upon seeing the ancient creature’s remains.
The discovery has shed light on the bird’s skull, left forelimb, spine, thighbone, pelvis and insides.
The bird fossil shed light on the creature’s skeleton and insides
‘This Myanmar fossil deposit is clearly game-changing. It’s arguably the more important breakthrough for understanding bird evolution right now,’ bird evolution expert Julia Clarke told National Geographic.
She explained why it is significant, saying: ‘We used to think we’d never have a whole bird in Cretaceous amber, but now we have multiple examples.’
Another expert, George Poinar, said: ‘It’s always exciting when a vertebrate fossil is found in amber, especially Cretaceous amber.’
However, Poinar, said that it is a shame ‘that the two diagnostic features of that family are missing: the toothed beak and clawed fingers on the wings.’
Xing said he was excited that his team was able to find the fossil, explaining that birds preserved in amber can sometimes be sold for half a million dollars, making them too expensive for researchers hoping to study their remains.