14 DAY TRIAL // The recent discovery of the Microraptor gui species of dinosaur (translated as “Small thief” or “Small raider”) stands as further proof that dinosaurs are the ancestors of modern birds. The fact that puzzled researchers was its being provided with two sets of wings, which is highly unusual for any animal type of any age.
This evolutionary theory is still widely disputed but gains more acceptance by the day, as more and more species are uncovered or studied more thoroughly. The species that proves most credibly the link between birds and dinosaurs begins with the famous Archaeopteryx (“Ancient wing”), the first complete specimen being discovered in 1861, but it also includes the Sinosauropteryx (provided with some primitive proto-feathers), Caudipteryx (which had feathers adapted for flight), or Confuciusornis (which is, in fact, the closest to a real bird).
But of all bird-like dinosaur species ever found, Microraptor gui seems to be the oddest, since not only was it provided with four wings, but it also had arms. The feathers were obviously designed to help lifting the animal into the air, but how exactly it traveled still eludes experts like Sankar Chatterjee and R. Jack Templin from the Texas Tech University. The pose which they proposed for the bird-like dinosaur may shed some light on the origins of flight, which sees two sides with opposite opinions confront for decades. Some believe ground dinosaurs evolved in order to reach the skies, while others claim that the ones living in trees developed new features in order to glide from one tree to another. Although it is still uncertain whether Microraptor gui was actually able to fly (since some researchers believe it didn't have the necessary muscles that would propel it into the air or ensure a running start), it is generally believed it was an excellent glider.
The new “missing link” was a 3 feet (0.9 meter) long and approximately 10 pounds (4.5 kg) heavy, which makes it one of the smallest dinosaurs ever found. The tiny carnivore which lived about 128 to 124 million years ago (during the early Cretaceous) was discovered in China, in the Liaoning Province.