Scientists have discovered the oldest bird fossil shedding light on birds' origin in China, and reshaping the timeline of bird evolution.

The Archaeopteryx, the fossils of which were first discovered around 1860, belonged to the Late Jurassic period and was once considered the earliest bird. However, its long tail and primitive features led some scientists to question its classification as a bird. Instead, they suggested that it belonged to a group of bird-like dinosaurs.

Researchers have discovered a 149-million-year-old bird fossil in southeastern China, featuring a short tail structure that could rewrite the evolutionary history of birds. As detailed in a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature,

Baminornis is a landmark discovery and ranks among the most important bird fossils unearthed since the discovery

This discovery extends the timeline for the evolution of key bird features by millions of years. “Previously, the oldest record of short-tailed birds is from the Early Cretaceou