Azernews.Az

by Alimat Aliyeva

Chinese scientists have identified a newly discovered species of feathered dinosaur dating back approximately 120 million years, providing valuable new insights into the evolutionary origins of flight, AzerNEWS reports.

The discovery was made from an exceptionally well-preserved fossil found in Liaoning Province in northeastern China. According to China Daily, the specimen preserves clear impressions of numerous feathers surrounding its skeleton, offering rare detail about its external appearance.

A study published in the journal Vertebrata PalAsiatica suggests that this dinosaur belongs to a group of pennaraptors closely related to modern birds. Unusually, it appears to have developed both large feathers on its forelimbs and long, fan-shaped tail feathers simultaneously. The tail alone is estimated to have carried around 16 feathers, somewhat resembling the plumage of a peacock.

Researchers have classified the fossil as a new species within the dromaeosaurid theropod family, making it a close relative of well-known dinosaurs such as Velociraptor and Microraptor.

Scientists emphasize that this combination of traits — large forelimb feathers together with highly developed tail and limb plumage — has never been observed in any previously discovered dinosaur species. They believe this unique morphology may represent an important evolutionary “missing link,” helping to explain how feathers gradually transitioned from insulation and display structures into adaptations for flight in modern birds.

Interestingly, Liaoning Province is already famous for producing some of the world’s most significant feathered dinosaur fossils, often referred to as the “cradle of feathered dinosaurs.” This latest discovery further strengthens the region’s importance in paleontological research.

The research team, led by Academician Xu Xing of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, named the species Changzhousaurus sinensis, in honor of Changzhou City in eastern China, recognizing its long-term efforts to promote paleontology education and integrate dinosaur science into cultural tourism.