The newfound dinosaur Mahakala omnogovae bears feathers and winglike limbs in this artist's reconstruction.
The
80-million-year-old creature measured just 27.5 inches (70 centimeters)
long, which means that it could be a key piece of the evolutionary
puzzle of how massive dinosaurs gave rise to today's birds.
Dinosaur digs over the last decade—including many in China—have suggested that several of the ancient reptiles were covered in feathers, a hint of their potential link to birds.
Mahakala's small size bolsters the idea that some theropods, or
bipedal carnivorous dinosaurs, decreased in stature during the
evolutionary transition into birds, according to the team of
paleontologists who discovered the young adult fossil.
Read More