Discovery of 120-Million-Year-Old Microraptor Fossil Expands Understanding of Dinosaur Evolution
A 120-million-year-old fossil of a microraptor, named Jian changmaensis, has been discovered in the Changma Basin of northwestern China. This finding is significant as it expands the known geographical range of microraptors, a group of predatory dinosaurs closely related to the velociraptor. The fossil, which includes intact shoulder and forelimb bones, represents the most recent definitive microraptor specimen in the fossil record. The research, published in the Annals of Carnegie Museum, highlights the birdlike characteristics of this dinosaur, which had feathers covering its body and long feathers on its hind legs, suggesting it could glide between trees. This discovery provides new insights into the origins of avian flight and the evolution of birds. 
