Fossil of Oldest ‘Modern’ Bird Found in China

Scientists have pieced together what they believe is the oldest fossil of a “modern” bird, a sparrow-sized creature that flitted among the forests of China about 135 million years ago, it was announced today.

Apart from three clawed fingers along its wings hinting at its dinosaur ancestry, the ancient bird likely looked and acted much like the songbirds that drop by suburban bird feeders, scientists said.

“If you saw this bird perched in a tree it would probably appear modern, with flying and perching abilities virtually identical to today’s birds,” said Paul Sereno of the University of Chicago.

Based on plant and animal life found surrounding the fossil, Sereno estimated that the bird dates back about 135 million years--10 million years older than the oldest previously known fossils of modern birds, which were found in Spain.

However, the Chinese bird, which has not been named, is still about 10 million years younger than the oldest known bird-like creature, called Archaeopteryx. The chicken-sized Arachaeopteryx is not considered a modern bird because its flying consisted mostly of gliding, it lacked grasping feet and its long tail probably kept it from taking off from the ground, Sereno said.