News Paleontology

A bird with a T. rex head may help reveal how dinosaurs became birds

Few fossils bridge the gap between dinosaur and bird. This one could help fill in some details

Illustration of a Cratonavis bird from 120 million years ago as it catches prey. We see into the bird's wings as if it were an x-ray.

Cratonavis, a newly discovered bird from 120 million years ago, might have filled a similar niche as today’s raptors, though whether it could catch prey as large as illustrated here is up for debate.

Zhao Chuang

By Aaron Tremper

A 120-million-year-old fossil bird found in China could offer some new clues about how landbound dinosaurs evolved into today’s flying birds.