Mysterious feathered dinosaur was agile flyer
Tuesday, October 23, 2012 - 07:01
in Paleontology & Archaeology
(Phys.org)—In 2003, a mysterious and surprising dinosaur was discovered that possessed not only wings on its arms but also long feathers on each leg forming a "hind wing." This was a completely new and unexpected body plan for a vertebrate (backboned) animal. Named Microraptor, this enigmatic animal set off a firestorm of debate about the role of "hind wings" and their importance in the evolution of birds from Velociraptor-like ancestors. This debate continued for nearly a decade, but no one was able to provide an explanation that fit well with both anatomy and aerodynamics.