Researchers have studied the fossilized remains of a bird that is more than 120 million years old. Archaeologists found a sample on
Scientists were most interested in the bird's tail.Researchers found several unusual characteristics about it - its size, a fan of short feathers at the base and two long feathers with a hard shaft. Today this tail structure Only a small number of species remain, among them the bird of paradise or quetzal. Individuals use this tail to attract the attention of the opposite sex.
(Wang et al., Current Biology, 2021).
The new species belonged to the Mesozoic speciesEnantiornis. This is a genus of birds of prey from the subclass of enantiornhis birds, something between non-avian dinosaurs and the ancestors of modern birds. Despite the fact that due to this appearance, males were more often attacked by predators, they were more attracted to females. Thus, the brighter and longer the tail, the more dangerous and shorter its life, but also the more interest the male aroused in the opposite sex, allowing him to mate more often and more actively.
Read more
The Earth began to spin faster: why is this happening and is there a danger
The descendants of animals that survived after a possible asteroid fall still live on Earth
Physicists have cooled atoms to the lowest temperature in the world