Extraordinarily intact and able to change the history of evolution: we are talking about a Avial skull fossil just discovered in Antarctica by a research group led by Pacific University (USA). The discovery promises to shed light on the “Path” from dinosaurs to modern birds.
The skull belongs to the species Vegavis iaaiextinct birds lived during the late Cretaceous (geological period that lasted 79 million years), just before the dinosaurs did not extinguish themselves, and is One of the very few skins of 3D birds known to the science of the prehistoric period in which they inhabited our planet.
In fact, there are several fossils of this bird, including the oldest vocal organ, but this new skull is not only helping scientists to learn more about this particular species of extinct bird, but also on origins and the evolution of birds still alive todayabove all because the fossil, by its nature, can lead to reconstructing the shape of the brain contained in it.
The specimen also is the First example of a direct relative of modern birds of the late Cretaceous and constitutes proof that the relatives living birds and their cousins ​​unanisted dinosaurs coexisted. And according to scientists it is closely related to ducks and modern geesecategorizable in an evolutionary group called Anseriformsorder that includes both.
And not only that, because other experts suggested that Vegavis It is also remotely related to most of the lines of today’s birds.
On the other hand, as the authors of the research, the ducks and the geese of today are highlighted are only a small selection of the Anseriform birds lived at that time. In fact, there are examples of birds similar to ducks in fossil finds that had lifestyles similar to today’s herons and flamingos.
The study highlights the value of in -depth research of a single species: scientists have in fact spent decades to analyze the fossils of Vegavis in Antarctica, but what they have discovered is having chain effects on the entire evolutionary tree
This new fossil reveals that Antarctica has Much to tell us On the early stages of the evolution of modern birds
underlines Patrick O’Connor, who led the study
And this is only the beginning: fossils of animals and plants of that period in Antarctica are extremely rare, which raises many others Questions about the nature of the environments In which birds and other life forms originated and diversified.
Something very different seems to have happened in the most remote areas of the southern hemisphere, in particular in Antarctica – says O’Connor – this requires one much more in -depth look to the fossil documentation and environmental changes of this region over time
The work, financed by National Science Foundationwas published on Nature.
Sources: Eurekalert / Nature
