[Rockhounds] This Ancient Creature Is a Bizarre Hybrid of Dinosaur And Bird

[Kreigh Tomaszewski]

We can confidently say that birds are dinosaur
<https://www.sciencealert.com/dinosaurs> descendants, though
paleontologists are still puzzled as to how this incredible evolutionary
event occurred.

Now a complete fossilized skeleton of a bird that lived in what is today
China around 120 million years ago might help clarify key steps in the
transformation process, presenting with a more archaic, dinosaur-like head
atop a body that has more in common with modern birds.

The transition from dinosaur to bird includes some of the most dramatic
changes in shape, function, and environment, which ultimately led to the
body plan that is typical of today's birds.

Some of those shifting features can still be seen
<https://www.sciencealert.com/before-they-hatch-birds-briefly-develop-a-feature-that-s-amazingly-dinosaur-like>
in
the way modern birds develop. But the order in which these changes
occurred, and the nature of the evolutionary pressures that gave rise to
strictly avian characteristics, is still open for debate.

The fascinating, newly found fossil, named *Cratonavis zhui*, may provide
important insights into the evolution of modern birds.

Researchers discovered the body print of *Cratonavis*, the bird with a
dinosaur head, during excavations conducted in northern China.

https://www.sciencealert.com/this-ancient-creature-is-a-bizarre-hybrid-of-dinosaur-and-bird