Ancient Gliding Predator Reveals New Insights Into Dinosaur Evolution
WHO:
CNN - The research team includes Dr. Matt Lamanna, senior dinosaur researcher and Mary R. Dawson Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and Jingmai O’Connor, vertebrate paleontologist and associate curator of fossil reptiles at Chicago’s Field Museum.
CNN - Steve Brusatte, a professor of paleontology and evolution at Scotland’s University of Edinburgh, commented on the findings but was not involved in the study.
WHAT:
KSL.com - The fossil of Jian changmaensis is the only microraptor specimen found outside northeastern China.
CNN - The research team has been investigating the Changma Basin since 2004.
CNN - The fossil includes a distinctive feature in the coracoid known as the supracoracoid fenestra, which is nearly bisected by a large hole.
CNN - The fossil is preserved in three dimensions, which is rare for microraptor specimens, allowing for better study of their anatomy and flight capabilities.
Phys.org - A new species of microraptor, named Jian changmaensis, has been identified from a 120 million-year-old fossil.
CNN - Jian changmaensis was about the size of a barn owl and glided between trees while hunting birds.
CNN - The fossil represents the most recent definitive microraptor specimen in the fossil record, expanding the timeline for how long feathered dinosaurs existed.
CNN - The fossil includes well-preserved shoulder and forelimb bones, which could provide new insights into the evolution of flight in these dinosaurs.
CNN - The fossil was found in the Changma Basin, where researchers have recovered over one hundred bird fossils but only this single non-avian dinosaur specimen.
WHERE:
Phys.org - The fossil was discovered in northwestern China.
CNN - The specific location of the fossil is the Changma Basin in Gansu province, China.
WHEN:
CNN - The study regarding Jian changmaensis was published on a Thursday in the journal Annals of Carnegie Museum.
WHY:
CNN - The discovery of Jian changmaensis provides critical new information on the biological history of the Changma region and the ecological context of the ancestors of today’s birds, indicating that non-avian dinosaurs lived in the area.
CNN - The discovery of Jian changmaensis provides critical new information on the biological history of the Changma region and the ecological context of the ancestors of today’s birds.
CNN - The research suggests that microraptors may have evolved wings to fill an ecological niche as tree-dwelling predators, potentially to avoid larger meat-eating dinosaurs.
HOW:
CNN - Researchers plan to scan the wing of Jian changmaensis to investigate its flight or gliding capabilities.
CNN - The fossil was preserved in three dimensions, which is rare for microraptor specimens, allowing for better study of their anatomy and flight capabilities.
CNN - The research team plans to scan the wing of Jian changmaensis to investigate its flight or gliding capabilities.
(UPDATED June 4, 2026 23:23 UTC)
A remarkable fossil of Jian changmaensis has been discovered, marking the only microraptor specimen found outside northeastern China, and it features a unique characteristic in the coracoid known as the supracoracoid fenestra, which is nearly bisected by a large hole. This three-dimensional fossil, which is rare for microraptor specimens, offers invaluable insights into the anatomy and flight capabilities of these ancient creatures, shedding light on the biological history of the Changma region and the ecological context of non-avian dinosaurs that once roamed the area. Researchers are set to scan the wing of Jian changmaensis to further investigate its potential flight or gliding abilities.
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(UPDATED June 4, 2026 21:30 UTC)
A new species of microraptor, named Jian changmaensis, has been identified from a well-preserved fossil discovered in the Changma Basin of Gansu province, China. This remarkable find, which includes detailed shoulder and forelimb bones, offers fresh insights into the evolution of flight in dinosaurs and expands the timeline for feathered dinosaurs, suggesting they existed longer than previously thought. The research team, led by experts from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and Chicago’s Field Museum, plans to scan the wing of Jian changmaensis to further explore its gliding abilities.