Scientists discover that Confucius reveals the early evolutionary mechanism of birds

Shenyang, December 31 (Reporter Liu Yong Correspondent Li Qingpo) A few days ago, the sub-journal of the journal "Communication Biology" published online the latest progress in paleontological research by Hu Dongyu and Xu Xing's team of Shenyang Normal University -- in a bird fossil about 119 million years ago, a new species of paleontological "Confucius Bird" was discovered, named "Normal Confucius Bird"
.
Its discovery has changed the previous understanding of the partial evolution mechanism of ancient birds, and is of great significance
for scientists to further understand the evolution of early birds.

It is understood that among the many ancient birds found in the Rehe biota of Liaoxi, Confucius birds are the first to be discovered
.
Since the discovery of the first specimen in the 90s of the 20th century, it has been attracting the attention
of scholars at home and abroad.
In the past 30 years, thousands of specimens
have been found in Early Cretaceous strata in western Liaoning and surrounding areas.
Since it is the earliest known bird to evolve a "beak" and "tail bone" similar to living birds, the study of this taxa also provides an important window
for understanding the early evolution of birds.

"The Normal Confucius bird comes from the later 'Jiufotang Formation' strata of the Rehe biota, and detailed morphological studies have shown that it has many progressive flight characteristics, some of which can only be seen
in later evolved birds.
" The researchers said that in the long 12 million years of evolution of this taxon, its flight ability and flight strategy have undergone great changes, and the teacher Confucius bird represents a new evolutionary direction of the taxon, that is, to improve flight control and maneuverability, and adapt to short-distance flight
.

In addition, during the evolution of dinosaurs to birds, the tail of dinosaurs gradually shortened, and the multi-node tail vertebrae at the end would heal each other into a "tail bone"
.
Because the specimen of Confucius is in a special ontogenetic state, it provides the first convincing evidence
for the understanding of the earliest "tail bone" vertebral composition of birds.

Not only that, but the researchers also realized that in order to meet the needs of the normal Confucius bird to fly when the bone growth was still incomplete, an extremely special ossification mechanism for birds, "epiphyseal secondary ossification", is likely to play a role
in its joint ossification.
Prior to this, it was generally believed that "epiphyseal secondary ossification" existed in the ossification of appendage bones in reptiles and mammals
.
In birds, it occurs only at the proximal tibia
of the hindlimbs.
The team's findings have changed previous understanding
of the ossification mechanism of ancient birds.