Εξαιρετικά συλλεκτικά αντικείμενα - Απολιθωμένο ζώο - Confuciusornithiformes - 65 cm - 50 cm

Name: Confuciusornithiformes
Era: Early Cretaceous, approximately 135-120 million years ago
Location: Jehol Biota, Northeast China
Strata: Yixian Formation, Jiufotang Formation, etc.
Specimen: Natural
Body size approximately 55cm x 40cm

As seen in the photographs: The skull area is relatively well-preserved, located at the front of the body, showing the typical small head outline of birds; the neck, trunk, and limb bones are clearly visible; the forelimbs are significantly elongated to form wing structures, and the arrangement of wing bones can be observed; the hind limbs are slender, exhibiting characteristics of birds adapted to arboreal life; the tail is relatively well-preserved, with feather or tail feather imprints visible at the tip.

Confuciusornithiformes is one of the most important early birds of the Mesozoic Era, and is an important fossil for studying the evolution from dinosaurs to birds, the origin of bird flight, and the ecology of early birds. It lived in the lacustrine-volcanic environment of the Early Cretaceous, and the unique rapid burial conditions of the Jehol Biota allowed for the excellent preservation of its bones, feather imprints, and even soft tissues.