(Is that the most unlikely to get clicked on headline on FFL yet!) Researchers in China and the UK say they have discovered the fossils of a new type of flying reptile that lived more than 160 million years ago.
The find is named Darwinopterus, after Charles Darwin. Experts say it provides the first clear evidence of a controversial idea called modular evolution. The 20 new fossils found in north-east China show similarities to both primitive and more advanced pterosaurs, or flying reptiles. Pterosaurs were flying reptiles that flourished between 65 and 220 million years ago. But the discovery of more than 20 new fossil skeletons in north-east China sits in the gap in this evolutionary chain. Darwinopterus is a hawk-like reptile with a head and neck just like advanced pterosaurs - but the rest of the skeleton is similar to more primitive forms. Researchers say that this could be evidence of what they call modular evolution - where natural selection forces a whole series of traits to change rapidly rather than just one. The whole story (with some cool pictures): http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2009/10/darwinopterus_transitional.php?utm_source=networkbanner&utm_medium=link
