Chinese paleontologists discovered specimens of a bat-like fossil of a dinosaur and researchers say that this discovery is a definitive step in establishing that birds evolved from dinosaurs.
The speciesis estimated to be in existence for a very sport span in the Jurassic Era. China is now becoming an important centre in the field of paleontology as a number of samples and fossils are being uncovered. This is primarily due to the vast amount of funding that research is getting, according to Independant.
China's Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology conducted the research. They found the specimen in the Hebei province of China. The species is named Yi Gi, which is Mandarin for strange wing and is said to be present over 160 million years ago, according to CBS News.
Lead researcher Xu Xing highlighted that this displays evolution's complex nature and that the creature was one of the first few species who were capable of flying. The dinosaur is considered to be mother nature's failed attempt at creating a flying creature.
The creature also could not perfect the act of flying and probably glided to move rather than the current day birds' who flap to gain elevation. This is probably attributed to the fact that the creature's wings consisted of membranes, much reminiscent of today's bats, rather than feathers. Xing also commented that the specimen is now housed at a museum at Shandong Province in China.
In the recent years several discovered species showcase their capacity to fly. Hence, now this discovery takes a step forward to highlight how flight evolved and how the Jurassic era creatures mastered it.
Now researchers intend to find more such specimens of the bat dinosaurs in order to study their flight capabilities and gather more details in an attempt to study origins of flight in dinosaurs.