Tiny Jurassic bird reveals a key step in bird evolution

The transition from a lumbering, heavy dinosaur body to the flight-adapted bird body plan is one of many fascinating episodes in evolutionary history.

Working out how this massive transformation took place relies heavily on fossil records, especially of transitional species.

A study of a newly identified Jurassic bird published in the journal Science Advances is providing fresh insights into a tail adaptation that helps birds fly. ...