The extinct animal may reveal how modern birds survived the asteroid that wiped out large dinosaurs.
Researchers have discovered the remains of an extinct animal that may represent the oldest"modern" bird known to science.
He continued:"In addition to providing our best glimpse yet at the skull of an early modern bird from the Age of Dinosaurs, the fossil can help us understand which features may have helped modern birds survive the extinction event that wiped out the giant dinosaurs.
"This is the first time a fossil of a modern bird from the Age of Dinosaurs has ever been found from the northern hemisphere," Field said."The fact that the fossil was found in Europe is incredibly exciting, because it suggests that future discoveries of even older modern birds might come from Europe. Until now we were not certain that modern birds were even present in Europe during the Age of Dinosaurs.
Even though the skull is tens of millions of years old, it is still clearly recognizable as a modern bird, resembling a mixture between a chicken and a duck, according to the researchers. The researchers think the extinct bird weighed under 15 ounces, and was relatively small in size, with fairly long legs.
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