'Bizarre' long-legged bird-like dinosaur has scientists enthralled

Scientists said on Wednesday they have unearthed in Fujian Province the fossil of a Jurassic Period dinosaur they named Fujianvenator prodigiosus - a creature that sheds light on a critical evolutionary stage in the origin of birds.

Asked for a word to describe Fujianvenator, Wang replied, "I would say 'bizarre.' Fujianvenator is far from similar to any modern birds." Fujianvenator is a member of a grouping called avialans that includes all birds and their closest non-avian dinosaur relatives, Wang said. Despite their modest beginnings, birds survived theThe Fujianvenator fossil, discovered last October, is fairly complete but lacks the animal's skull and parts of its feet, making it hard to interpret its diet and lifestyle.

"The fossil itself does not preserve feathers. However, its closest relatives and nearly all the known avialan theropods have feathers, and feathers are widely distributed among dinosaurs. Therefore, it would not be a surprise if Fujianvenator had feathers," Wang added.

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