Zhenghe: Chinese scientists have discovered the world's oldest short-tailed bird fossils, dating back 150 million years, in eastern China.

According to Anadolu Agency, this discovery was announced on Thursday, and it challenges the previously accepted timeline for the appearance of birds. The new findings suggest that the emergence of bird species could date back to between 172 million and 164 million years ago.

The fossils, identified as Baminornis zhenghensis, were unearthed in Zhenghe County, Fujian Province. These remains showcase a compound bone known as the pygostyle, which is found in modern birds. This suggests that the body structure of modern birds could have appeared during the Late Jurassic Period, about 20 million years earlier than previously believed.

The fossils exhibited a unique combination of features, including modern bird-like shoulder and pelvic girdles, along with hands resembling those of non-avian dinosaurs. Wang Min, the lead scientist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, highlighted these traits when discussing the discovery. Zhou Zhonghe, another academician from the academy, emphasized the significance of the find, stating that it challenges the idea that Archaeopteryx was the only bird species from the Jurassic Period.