Chinese fossil points to flightless bird 150 million years ago

Summary

Chinese scientists have unearthed what the South China Morning Post describes as the earliest known flightless bird: a 150-million-year-old Late Jurassic avialan, Yuezhuornis yangyuanensis. The discovery could challenge the assumption that flightlessness arose only after birds evolved flight. This follows reports that some Jurassic-period birds were flightless and that they showed early ecological diversity among avialans.

Timeline

1. South China Morning Post

   16 Oct 2026, 12:00 UTCSource ↗

   The South China Morning Post reports that Chinese scientists found a 150-million-year-old fossil of the earliest known flightless bird, which could challenge assumptions about when flightlessness evolved.