Fujianvenator is a member of a grouping called avialans that includes all birds and their closest non-avian dinosaur relatives, Mr. Wang said. Despite their modest beginnings, birds survived the asteroid strike 66 million years ago that doomed their non-avian dinosaur comrades. The Fujianvenator fossil, discovered last October, is fairly complete but lacks the animal’s skull and parts of its feet, making it hard to interpret its diet and lifestyle. It cannot be determined whether it could fly or not,” Mr. Wang said. Scientists are seeking a better understanding of the origin of birds as well as non-avian dinosaurs with bird-like traits.

Source: The Hindu September 07, 2023 15:10 UTC