Cretaceous Dinosaur That Could Run Faster with Wings Discovered
When Dr. Sarah Chen first examined the unusual footprints in South Korea’s Jinju Formation, she knew she’d stumbled onto something extraordinary. “These weren’t your typical dinosaur tracks,” says Chen, lead researcher at the International Institute of Paleontology. “The spacing was unlike anything we’d seen before.” The footprints, belonging to the newly studied Dromaeosauriformipes rarus, tell a remarkable story of adaptation. Dated to approximately 106 million years ago, these tracks reveal a creature that seems to have pushed the boundaries of what scientists thought possible for its size.
With prints spaced up to 31 centimeters apart, this early Cretaceous dinosaur appears to have been built for speed. According to findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, D. rarus could reach speeds of 38 kilometers per hour – roughly the pace of a modern-day ostrich. But how did this relatively small dinosaur achieve such impressive velocities?
The Secret Weapon: Wing-Assisted Running
“We believe D. rarus used its wings as thrust-generating appendages during high-speed running,” explains Dr. Marcus Rodriguez, a biomechanics expert who contributed to the study. “Think of it as an evolutionary prototype for what we see in modern flightless birds.”
Was It a Bird? Was It a Plane?
The abrupt end to the trackway has sparked intense debate within the paleontological community. Dr. Emma Thompson, who wasn’t involved in the study, suggests this could indicate a transition to flight. “The presence of feathers on this species, combined with these unique tracks, forces us to reconsider everything we thought we knew about the evolution of flight,” she notes.
Implications for Bird Evolution
This discovery could revolutionize our understanding of how flight evolved. Rather than following a single evolutionary path through bird-like dinosaurs, the ability to fly may have developed independently multiple times. “What we’re seeing here,” says Chen, “might be just one of many experiments in early flight adaptation.” The findings also raise intriguing questions about other feathered dinosaurs. If D. rarus could indeed fly, it suggests that flight capabilities might have been more widespread among dinosaurs than previously thought.
As researchers continue to analyze the Jinju Formation tracks, one thing becomes clear: the story of flight evolution is far more complex than we imagined. With each new discovery, we’re forced to redraw the family tree that connects ancient dinosaurs to modern birds.
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A significant discovery involving a supernova remnant in the Milky Way, identified as G278.94+1.35, has been made by a team of international astronomers. This structure, resulting from a massive stellar explosion, was initially thought to be approximately 8,800 light years away. New findings have revised this distance to about 3,300 light years, making it closer than previously calculated. The remnant’s estimated physical dimensions have also been adjusted to around 189 by 182 light years, contrary to earlier assessments of over 500 light years.
Insights from the Study
According to the study published December 30 on the pre-print server arXiv, highlighted the properties of this remnant. The research team, led by Miroslav D. Filipović, Professor at Western Sydney University, observations were conducted using the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) as part of the ASKAP-Evolutionary Map of the Universe project. These observations revealed the nearly circular shape and expansive nature of the remnant, now named “Diprotodon,” in homage to an extinct giant marsupial native to Australia.
The research team attributed the name to raise awareness about the prehistoric megafauna of Australia and ongoing extinction challenges. The findings, as reported by phys.org indicate that the supernova remnant is in a radiative evolutionary phase, suggesting continued expansion.
Characteristics and Significance
Diprotodon’s progenitor star is estimated to have been about 15 times the mass of the Sun. The kinetic energy released during the explosion is approximated at 500 quindecillion ergs. The spectral index of the remnant, measured at around -0.55, aligns with typical shell-type remnants observed in the galaxy. These characteristics place it among the largest supernova remnants known, providing valuable insights into the dynamics of such structures.
The study has offered critical data regarding the formation, expansion, and current state of Diprotodon, contributing to the broader understanding of supernova remnants within the Milky Way.
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