Artistic reconstruction of Pebanista yacuruna (Photo: Jaime Bran via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0)

About 16 million years ago, the Peruvian Amazon rainforest was covered by a massive lake known as Pebas, one of the most biodiverse ecosystems to ever exist on Earth. Among the species that called it home was the largest freshwater dolphin ever—a creature whose existence remained in the dark until 2018, when paleontologist Aldo Benites-Palomino spotted a fossilized jaw bone during a field expedition around Peru's Napo River.

“As soon as I recognized it, I saw the teeth sockets. I screamed, ‘This is a dolphin.’ We could not believe it,” Benites-Palomino told The Guardian. At first, he figured the dolphin must have been an ancestor to the contemporary Amazon river pink dolphins found in South America. However, further research made it clear that not only was it a completely different species that has since gone extinct, but its closest relatives live halfway across the world. Specifically, in the Ganges and Indus rivers of South Asia, some 6,200 miles away.

“It's difficult to find fossils from this era, since they're only accessible during the dry season when the Amazon rivers are low enough to expose rocks from the past,” says Benites-Palomino on TikTok.

The newly discovered species was named Pebanista yacuruna in honor of the Yacuruna, of a mythical aquatic people believed to live in underwater cities throughout the Amazon basin. This creature could grow to up to 11.5 feet long, had small eyes, and a bony structure called a facial crest that allowed it to get around using echolocation. “For river dolphins, echolocation, or biosonar, is even more critical as the waters they inhabit are extremely muddy, which impedes their vision,” explained Gabriel Aguirre-Fernández, a University of Zurich researcher who also participated in this study.

It is believed that the Pebanista Yacuruna originally lived in the ocean before moving to freshwater habitats in search of new sources of food. And just like these dolphins evolved in ways that helped them thrive in their new environment, they may also hold the key to help the endangered fresh water dolphins of the world today, which see their ecosystems threatened by global warming and pollution.

“Around 11 to 12 million years ago, this mega-wetland system started to drain, giving way to the modern Amazon,” Benites-Palomino told New Scientist. “A lot of species disappeared at that moment, and that might also have been the fate of this giant dolphin.”

Today, this insightful fossil sits in the Museum of Natural History in Lima, Peru—an institution that saw Benites-Palomino start his career as a Research Associate. But his findings will go much further. “The finding of Pebanista in the Peruvian Amazon only reasserts one thing,” concludes Benites-Palomino. “Our fossils are rewriting the story of many animal groups.”

Aldo Benites-Palomino: Twitter | TikTok
h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

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READ: 16-Million-Year-Old Skull of Extinct Species of Giant Dolphin Discovered in Peru

Photo: waitandshoot/Depositphotos

Earlier this year, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) shared trail cam footage of a gray wolf letting out a remarkable howl. The video, uploaded on January 23, 2024, shows what appears to be a lone gray wolf howling at the moon and then cuts to it with the rest of its pack. It is believed that these wolves belong to the Yowlumni Pack, which was found in summer 2023 in “the Sequoia National Forest in proximity to the Tule River Tribe of California’s reservation and ancestral lands.” This particular pack has the distinct honor of being the first wolves spotted in Southern California in more than 150 years. They are also one of four new wolf packs discovered in the state of California in 2023.

Currently, gray wolves are considered a recovering endangered species, after they were almost hunted to extinction by settlers in the western United States. Interestingly, gray wolves were never formally reintroduced in California—researchers say that they made their way back on their own. It is believed that gray wolves naturally roamed towards areas burned by wildfires across the Golden State. (Wolves are known to create dens for birthing in burn scars, as the open area allows them to survey their surroundings better to spot other predators.) According to the CDFW, there are at least 44 gray wolves and seven active wolf packs in the state.

While many people in the state view the wolves' return as a good thing, it does pose concerns for ranchers and farmers. As an endangered species, it is illegal to injure or kill a gray wolf, even if it is attacking one's livestock. The same rules apply to pet owners, as wolves sometimes view domesticated dogs as competitors or prey. Fortunately, the CDFW is tracking the wolf populations in the region, and continuing to learn more about their habits. They write: “The key overarching objectives includes monitoring wolf populations, expanding scope of conservation, management and research focus, and manage and mitigate wolf-livestock interactions to minimize loss.”

A howling wolf captured on a California trail cam is believed to be part of the first pack of wolves found in California in over 150 years.

h/t: [PetaPixel]

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READ: Howling Wolf Captured on Trail Cam Footage Is Proof of Wolves’ Return to California

 

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Una publicación compartida por Lærke Luna (@laerke_luna)

Nature has provided us with some unusual friendships, but arguably none as cute as Russell the crow and a 2-year-old boy named Otto. Though Russell is a wild bird, he visits Otto and his family often. When the toddler is at home, he sits patiently by the window, waiting to be let in and watch TV with his human friend. When Otto is at school, the crow sits on the roof of the family home, waiting for his pal to return.

Their adventures together have been documented by Otto's mom, Lærke Luna. While she has been happy to see her son develop a magical bond with the bird, she never leaves them unsupervised. This has also meant that Russell enjoys being around Luna, unabashedly landing on her shoulder and playing with her hair.

Russell's love for Otto and his family seems to date back to when Luna's boyfriend spotted him, really thin and in distress. After trying to reach out to a wildlife rehabilitator, they couldn't find one in the vicinity. Not willing to give up on the crow, they took him in and nursed him back to health. And so, Russell has been around ever since, getting treats and bringing little trinkets in return.

But as much as he enjoys the family's company, Russell seems to only have eyes for Otto. Luna has captured him following the toddler around on walks and tricycle rides—much to the little boy’s delight, who smiles whenever he turns around to see his friend. The friendly crow also seems to enjoy watching Otto play with his toy trucks, whether inside or outside the house. The toddler's mom also shares that Russell only accepts pets from Otto, as he gets away from anyone else that tries to touch him. As for the family's furry friends, Luna describes their relationship as “love-hate,” as the bird loves to tease their cats and dogs.

“Living with Russell means there's never a dull moment in our life,” Luna tells The Dodo. “He allows us to interact with nature in a way that most people are not able to. We're his flock.” To stay up to date with Otto's adventures with Russell, you can follow Luna on Instagram.

Few friendships are as cute as the bond between Russell the crow and a 2-year-old named Otto.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Lærke Luna (@laerke_luna)

Russell loves to follow Otto on walks and tricycle rides, much to the delight of the toddler, who always smiles when he turns to see his friend.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Lærke Luna (@laerke_luna)

“Living with Russell means there's never a dull moment in our life,” says Lærke Luna, Otto's mom.

 

Ver esta publicación en Instagram

 

Una publicación compartida por Lærke Luna (@laerke_luna)

Lærke Luna: Instagram
h/t: [The Dodo]

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Can you picture an animal small enough to  comfortably sit atop your fingernail? It may sound like work of fiction, but such an animal actually exists—the Brazilian flea toad. Don't be fooled by the name though. It is neither a flea nor a toad, but, in fact, a frog. Due to its size, it is believed to be the smallest amphibian and smallest vertebrate in the world. And while scientists have known about it for over a decade, they were only able to throughly measure the species recently. In February 2024, researchers Wendy H. Bolaños, Iuri Ribeiro Dias, and Mirco Solé published a paper in the journal Zooloigica Scripta sharing their findings.

The Brazilian flea toad (Brachycephalus pulex) is native to the forested hilltops in southern Bahia, on the coast of Brazil. The male frogs measure 7.1 millimeters (0.28 in) long on average, while the females, which are usually larger, measure about 8.15 millimeters (0.32 in). The smallest individual measured in the study was 6.45 millimeters long (0.25 in). Before this finding, the male Paedophryne amauensis frogs from Papua New Guinea held the record for the smallest known vertebrate with an average length of about 8 millimeters (0.31 in).

Herpetologist Mirco Solé first learned about the Brazilian flea toad back in 2011. Although he was the first to investigate this species' size, the sample wasn't large enough at the time to be conclusive. Fast forward to 2024, and Solé, along with Iuri Ribeiro Dias and Wendy Bolaños from the Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, published a study that further proves that the Brazilian flea toad may be the smallest vertebrate in the world. The team measured 24 male and 22 female flea toads, determining their sex and whether they were adults by looking at their reproductive organs, or gonads.

Given their size, the Brazilian flea toad and other tiny frogs have some key differences when compared to their larger counterparts. For example, their feet have just two toes instead of the typical five. And while they are decent jumpers, other small frogs have oddly shaped inner ear tubes, lessening their balance and making their signature hopping harder for them.

While this study has been commended by fellow biologists, the team is aware that this may not be the end of the road, as even smaller creatures may be discovered in the future. “If we take it as a linear measure, the frogs are currently clear winners,” Herpetologist Mark D. Scherz told the BBC. “But if we go by mass or volume, then fish would likely claim the title, as they are very narrow-bodied and slender, whereas the frogs are rather round.” Ultimately, Solé is aware of how an even smaller creature would defy what we know about the animal world. “[It] would really challenge morphology and physics,” Solé told Science News. “But who knows.”

At 7.1 millimeters (0.28 in), Brazilian flea toads are believed to be the smallest vertebrates in the world.

Photo: Dias, I; Medeiros, T; Vila Nova, M; Solé M via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

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READ: Tiny Brazilian Flea Toad Might Be the World’s Smallest Vertebrate According to Scientists

A Chaunacops (a genus of bony fish in the sea toad family Chaunacidae) is seen at a depth of 1388.65 meters on Seamount SF2 inside the Nazca-Desventuradas Marine Park. (Photo: Schmidt Ocean Institute, CC BY-NC-SA)

In an era of widely accessible information and technological advances, it is easy to think scientists know everything there is to know about Earth. In reality though, the ocean is still a vast mystery. UNESCO estimates as little as 5% of it has been explored. This past January and February, scientists Dr. Javier Sellanes and Dr. Erin Easton led a team of international researchers, organized through the Schmidt Ocean Institute, to a remote region of the southeast Pacific. There they began to uncover strange new worlds thought to be unlike anywhere else. With the crucial help of an underwater robot, over a hundred new species have potentially been discovered.

The remotely operated vehicle ROV SuBastian, a robot that can dive to previously inaccessible depths of 14,000 feet, facilitated the crew of the Falkor (too) finding many diverse species in underwater mountain ranges, better known as ridges, off the coast of Chile. The Salas y Gómez, Nazca, and Juan Fernandez ridges are home to over 200 seamounts, or individual mountains, created by volcanic activity. Each seamount provides shelter to an underwater community that seems otherworldly, with long-living, slow-growing, and slow to reproduce species found nowhere else. These species are especially vulnerable to damage from human and oceanic forces.

Among specimens collected during the expedition, the team believes they have discovered new species of squat lobsters, which have arms longer than their bodies, and cactus-like sea urchins. They have also found vertebrates such as the Chaunacops fish, known as coffinfish. The coffinfish survives very  deep underwater only by remaining motionless on the seafloor for the majority of its life.

While the images of brilliantly colored and alien-like sea life are mesmerizing in themselves, the data collected by the expedition will serve a critical purpose in conservation efforts.

In 2016, Chile banned bottom trawling on seamounts in its jurisdiction, but most of the ocean is outside of any one nation's borders. Therefore international efforts are needed to protect these magical oceanic mountain ranges. The hope is this expedition will help create a Marine Protected Area under the UN's 2023 High Seas Treaty. This will further restrict bottom trawling, a fishing method which rips up coral reefs and indiscriminately catches species from the seafloor in its net.

Over the next several years, scientists will work to confirm that the specimens collected by the ROV SuBastian are indeed previously unknown species. Another expedition of the seamounts is already in progress, keeping the Falkor (too) crew busy. In the meantime, we can all appreciate how much beauty there is yet to be discovered under the sea.

The crew of the Falkor (too) spent just over a month off the coast of Chile and discovered hundreds of undersea animals.

Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) SuBastain is deployed from Research Vessel Falkor (too) at the beginning of a scientific dive. (Photo: Alex Ingle / Schmidt Ocean Institute, CC BY-NC-SA)

This expedition resulted in images of rarely seen sea creatures, such as the whiplash squid, as well as animals thought to be previously unknown.

A spiraling coral documented at 1419 meters deep on Seamount JF1, within the bounds of the Mar de Juan Fernández Multiple Uses Marine Protected Area off the coast of central Chile. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute, CC BY-NC-SA)

A rarely-seen whiplash squid (Mastigopsis hjorti) documented at 1105 meters depth after inking at Seamount 17 (Ikhtiandr) in the Nazca Ridge. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute, CC BY-NC-SA)

Oblong Dermechinus urchins documented at a depth of 516 meters on Seamount JF2. An international group of scientists aboard a recent Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition believe they have discovered more than 100 new species living on seamounts off the coast of Chile, including deep-sea corals, glass sponges, sea urchins, amphipods, and squat lobsters. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute, CC BY-NC-SA)

A squat lobster documented in coral at a depth of 669 meters on Seamount JF2. An international group of scientists aboard a recent Schmidt Ocean Institute expedition believe they have discovered more than 100 new species living on seamounts off the coast of Chile, including deep-sea corals, glass sponges, sea urchins, amphipods, and squat lobsters. (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute, CC BY-NC-SA)

Confirming that the species are new will take several years.

Erin Easton (Chief Scientist, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley) and Elyssia Gonzalez (Student, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley) work together in the Research Vessel Falkor (too)'s Main Lab.  (Photo: ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute, CC BY-NC-SA)

The expedition explored seamounts that had never been studied prior.

Schmidt Ocean Intitute: Website | Facebook | Instagram
h/t: [Popular Science]

All Images via Schmidt Ocean Institute.

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Photo: isanbar/Depositphotos

On March 1, a whale was spotted swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts. Spotting whales around this time of year isn't unusual for New England Aquarium scientists, but something about this creature gave them pause. Upon closer inspection, they discovered that they were looking at a gray whale, which is a species thought to have been extinct in the Atlantic for nearly 200 years.

The gray whale is routinely found in the North Pacific, but has not been seen in the Atlantic Ocean since the 18th century, making the researchers' find extremely unique. Experts are not entirely sure why the animal disappeared from the region, but whaling could be a factor. Now, researchers say that the whale's sighting in the region is due to climate change, as the ice that normally dots the region hasn't been forming, allowing for easy travel.

According to researchers, there have been five spottings of gray whales in the Atlantic over the last 15 years, with the most recent being seen off the coast of Florida in December. The New England Aquarium believes that this is the same whale that was just spotted around Nantucket.

Gray whales are identifiable by blotchy coloration and lack of a dorsal fin. They are also expert migrators, traveling between feeding and breeding grounds every year. Like many other whales, a healthy gray whale has a particularly long lifespan for a wild animal, estimated to live between 50 to 70 years.

Earlier this month, a gray whale that was previously thought to be extinct in the Atlantic Ocean, was spotted about 30 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Photo: isanbar/Depositphotos

h/t: [Bored Panda]

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When thinking of relaxing content, many rely on ocean landscapes or ASMR videos to decompress. But that may be because they haven't given alpacas a chance. A video shot at Australia's Taronga Zoo, taken by National Geographic WILD, follows a little herd of alpacas as they enjoy their daily walk. It's so relaxing to watch!

Extracted from an episode of Secrets of the Zoo: Down Under, the clip shows zoo caretakers Parnee Bonson and Simon Brown taking three 5-year-old male alpacas on a walk down the hill where they can graze. Their names are Cartouche, Aragon, and Scaramouche, and they look simply excited to go on an adventure.

After enjoying a treat, Cartouche, the white alpaca, is led with a halter and led, while the other two alpacas, Scaramouche and Aragon, happily follow along freely. “Once Scaramouche and Aragon realize that we’re coming down to the concert lawns, they tend to take off ahead of us and race down to the grass so they can start grazing,” Bonson says.

The fluffy creatures make their way to their favorite grazing spot for a meal—a visual that softly conveys peace and joy. The humans at their charge describe this as their favorite part of their day.

Originally from South America, alpacas are about the size of a large dog. Despite their fuzzy appearance, they belong to the Camelidae family, meaning they are related to camels. While it may be hard to notice at first, their long neck, muzzle, and feet give it away. As domesticated animals, they are not endangered. Even better, unlike cattle and horses, their padded feet allow them to graze without damaging the landscape.

You can watch Cartouche, Aragon, and Scaramouche go on a happy walk in the video above.

h/t: [The Kid Should See This]

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READ: Watch a Herd of Adorable Alpacas Enjoy a Leisurely Walk Around Australia’s Taronga Zoo

Photo: naticastillog/Depositphotos

Every year, millions of monarch butterflies travel up to 2,800 miles to the forests of Central Mexico to escape the cold. After braving the elements, these butterflies turn Mexico's Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve into an orange-and-black wonderland. From October to March, they carpet the trees and the ground as they rest, reproduce, and get ready for the trip back north in the spring.

Although the life cycle of a monarch butterfly lasts about a month, the ones that are born shortly before migration delay their reproductive stage to make the trip, making them live up to nine months. This means that, from one year to the next, the butterflies that make the journey are great-great-granddaughters of those who traveled on the previous migration. And yet, they all know the way and even return to the same trees where their ancestors were born. They only fly during the day and use the sun and an “internal compass” to guide them.

Though popular in Mexico, their habitat was only discovered by the outside world in 1975 after Fred Urquhart, a Canadian zoologist, decided to track and trace the route of the butterflies he saw in his garden in Toronto. When he learned that one of the butterflies he had tagged had been seen in Mexico, he placed an ad in a newspaper asking for volunteers to go in search of the monarch butterfly's winter habitat.

Photo: naticastillog/Depositphotos

What was discovered by accident became a 138,000-acre reserve that spans the states of Mexico and Michoacán. In 2008, the area was named a World Heritage site—one that received half a million visitors last season. That's why responsible tourism practices are key when visiting these sites. Walk-in guided tours are usually available, allowing visitors to get firsthand knowledge about these creatures.

Monarch butterflies are an endangered species, but over-tourism is far from the only threat they face. The rise in avocado consumption in the U.S. has turned avocado farming into a lucrative business, prompting farmers to make room for avocado orchards by cutting the oak and pine trees that surround the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. And while tourists continue to pour in, the number of butterflies that made it to their wintering grounds fell by 59% this year.

If you ever find yourself visiting this natural area, it's important to follow the guide's instructions, such as staying on the designated trails, remaining quiet to avoid disturbing the butterflies, avoiding flash photography, and protecting the insects by not bringing in pets or food. The more care we put into this natural wonder, the more people will get to witness it in the future.

Every year, millions of monarch butterflies travel up to 2,800 miles to the forests of Central Mexico to escape the cold.

Photo: naticastillog/Depositphotos

After braving the elements, they turn Mexico's Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve into an orange-and-black wonderland.

Photo: naticastillog/Depositphotos

h/t: [National Geographic]

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READ: Millions of Monarch Butterflies Make the Mexican Forest Their Home for the Winter

 

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Una publicación compartida por Laura Martin Contini (@lauraandmessi)

The French movie Anatomy of a Fall featured some of the most riveting performances of the year. One was that of actress Sandra Hüller, who nabbed an Oscar nomination. The other was the work of a 7-year-old border collie named Messi. Like any other star from an acclaimed movie, he has been seen at press events and award ceremonies, melting the hearts of everyone he meets. A charming star on the rise, Messi was even seen “clapping” in the audience at the Oscars. However, a behind-the-scenes look reveals a lot more about this funny little clip that quickly played on the internationally televised program.

As talented as he is, Messi is not human and needed some help. The adorable pooch was he was aided with an extra pair of legs to get the clapping effect just right. And as some newly released behind-the-scenes footage shows, his clapping scene was even pre-taped. Since he was barking a lot, the short segment had to be taped before the actual ceremony. “Our plan was to have him sitting in the audience throughout the show, including my monologue,” Jimmy Kimmel shared on his talk show following the ceremony. “But then turns out, we did a rehearsal, the dog was barking like crazy the whole time because he's a dog, which was making it really hard to tell jokes.”

Still, Messi is such a natural that he had us for a minute there. And it's no wonder, given all his acting training. Messi's path to Hollywood began back in 2018, when Laura Martin Contini, his mom and trainer adopted him from her neighbors, who considered him to be the “ugliest” of the litter. The family's children had named him Messi after Leo Messi, the Argentine soccer player. And so, he became the first dog Martin Contini ever trained to be a movie star.

While they landed some roles in commercials, they struggled to break through. Messi was deemed a “misunderstod artist.” They made it to the final round of callbacks, but they couldn't make it to the silver screen “because of his rather particular gaze,” Martin Contini told IndieWire. “Something in his gaze or his eyes or something. Anatomy of a Fall is really the biggest film he’s ever made. He had one chance, and he gave it his all.”

In the movie, Messi plays Snoop, the guide dog of an 11-year-old boy named Daniel, played by Milo Machado-Graner. In one of the key moments of the movie, Messi has to remain still and play dead. To get it right, Martin Contini and Messi trained every day for two months before spending 22 days filming on the Anatomy of a Fall set. “There was such a great team, and he was everyone’s favorite on set, and we really took the time on each of his scenes,” Martin Contini told The Wildest.

His hard work paid off. In May 2023, he was awarded Palm Dog, the unofficial award for canine performances shown at the Cannes Film Festival, with the jury saying that his performance “covers the gambit… one of the best we’ve ever seen.” For Justine Triet, director of Anatomy of a Fall, Messi was so much more than a dog on set. “[He] was not just another character or some animal running around [but] as much a part of the film’s ensemble as any of the other actors,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.

Messi's luck has shifted, with Martin Contini sharing that he is getting calls “because now he is a star.” He is also being recognized by his celebrity peers, like Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, and Billie Eilish, who were delighted to meet him over the last few weeks. His fame reached new heights when he was seen at the Oscars ceremony, clapping for one of his fellow actors, even if it wasn't a live performance. After all, he's not a theater actor; he's a movie star.

Messi, the dog from the French movie Anatomy of a Fall, has been seen at press events and award ceremonies, melting the hearts of everyone he meets.

 

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A post shared by Laura Martin Contini (@lauraandmessi)

To get his scenes right in the movie, Messi trained every day for two months before spending 22 days filming on the Anatomy of a Fall set.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Laura Martin Contini (@lauraandmessi)

Following his incredible performance, the border collie was a regular at award shows, including the Oscars, where he yet again stole the show with his “clapping.”

Though the truth is he had to be aided with an extra pair of legs to create the effect.

 

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A post shared by Laura Martin Contini (@lauraandmessi)

 

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A post shared by Entertainment Tonight (@entertainmenttonight)

 

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A post shared by Laura Martin Contini (@lauraandmessi)

In fact, his scene-stealing clapping at the Oscars was actually pre-taped!

Messi the dog from Anatomy of a Fall was not due to attend the #Oscars but there is a look alike in front of a camera in the Dolby filing a segment with a small audience. pic.twitter.com/cyXwm3z7vU

— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) March 10, 2024

As Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel explains on his talk show: “Our plan was to have him sitting in the audience throughout the show, including my monologue. But then turns out, we did a rehearsal, the dog was barking like crazy the whole time because he's a dog, which was making it really hard to tell jokes.”

Messi and Laura: Instagram

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READ: Messi the Dog “Clapping” at the Oscars Was Actually Pre-Taped

Illustration showing the fossil skeleton of Imparavis attenboroughi, alongside a reconstruction of the bird in life. (Photo: © Ville Sinkkonen, via The Field Museum)

Sir David Attenborough has inspired many generations to learn about the world around them and pursue a nature-related career. And now, one of the scientists he moved has found a unique way to pay him back. Alex Clark, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Chicago, recently published a study about a newly discovered species of prehistoric birds that may change what we know about avian evolution. As a tribute to Attenborough, Clark named the species Imparavis attenboroughi, which means “Attenborough’s strange bird” in Latin.

The Imparavis attenboroughi lived 120 million years ago, but unlike its contemporaries, it lacked teeth. While birds today don't have teeth, this lack of dentition in the prehistoric bird made it unique, as it was more common to have them back then. “Before Imparavis, toothlessness in this group of birds was known to occur around 70 million years ago,” Clark tells CNN. “With Imparavis, it turns out it occurred nearly 48 million years earlier. Today, all birds lack teeth. But back in the Mesozoic, toothed little mouths were the norm. If you saw one without teeth, it’d be the oddball—and that’s what Imparavis was.”

The fossil that kickstarted this study was found by an amateur fossil hunter in northeastern China. It was then exhibited at the Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature in Linyi, China, where its skeleton stood out to Jingmai O’Connor, an associate curator of fossil reptiles at the Chicago Field Museum, who is also co-author of the paper.

“I think what drew me to the specimen wasn’t its lack of teeth—it was its forelimbs,” O’Connor said in a statement. “It had a giant bicipital crest—a bony process jutting out at the top of the upper arm bone, where muscles attach. I’d seen crests like that in Late Cretaceous birds, but not in the Early Cretaceous like this one. That’s when I first suspected it might be a new species.”

The bird belonged to a group named enantiornithines. They are also known as “opposite birds” because they had a shoulder joint feature that is quite different from the one found in birds today. “Enantiornithines are very weird. Most of them had teeth and still had clawed digits,” said Clark, “If you were to go back in time 120 million years in northeastern China and walk around, you might have seen something that looked like a robin or a cardinal, but then it would open its mouth, and it would be filled with teeth, and it would raise its wing, and you would realize that it had little fingers.”

While this is not the first animal to be named after Attenborough, it may be the first to change the paradigm. “It is a great honor to have one’s name attached to a fossil, particularly one as spectacular and important as this. It seems the history of birds is more complex than we knew,” said Attenborough. Other creatures named after him include a semi-slug named Attenborougharion rubicundus and the Zaglossus attenboroughi, also known as Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna.

Having been inspired by Attenborough his whole life, the scientists share that the work they do is connected to the naturalist's message of protecting the environment. “Learning about enantiornithines like Imparavis attenboroughi helps us understand why they went extinct and why modern birds survived, which is really important for understanding the sixth mass extinction that we’re in now,” O’Connor said. “The biggest crisis humanity is facing is the sixth mass extinction, and paleontology provides the only evidence we have for how organisms respond to environmental changes and how animals respond to the stress of other organisms going extinct.”

Evolutionary biologist Alex Clark decided name a newly discovered species of prehistoric birds in honor of Sir David Attenborough. Imparavis attenboroughi means “Attenborough’s strange bird” in Latin.

Photo: John Cairns via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)

h/t: [Smithsonian Magazine]

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READ: Newly Discovered Bird Species Named After David Attenborough Sheds Light on Avian Evolution