Fossil muddies the origin of birds

New specimen may be a feathered dinosaur — or the earliest avian yet discovered

EARLY BIRD This new fossil, found in a Middle/Late Jurassic formation in China and named Aurornis xui, may be the earliest bird yet discovered; others argue it is a birdlike dinosaur.

Thierry Hubin/IRSNB

A birdlike fossil that dates to roughly 155 million years ago is ruffling the feathers of some paleontologists.