One hundred and fifty million years ago, the swamps of Fujian province in southeastern China teemed with life. Fossils reveal a rich Jurassic ecosystem dubbed the Zhenghe Fauna, where turtles, frogs, and fish filled the waters and feathered dinosaurs stalked or waded on long, slender legs. And flitting about in the trees, there was a tiny creature whose recent discovery has upended our understanding of when and how birds became birds. Its scientific name is Baminornis zhenghensis, a mixture of Mandarin and Ancient Greek meaning “Eight Min bird from Zhenghe”…
