A Crow-Sized Dinosaur Had Four Wings
The well-preserved skeleton, found by a farmer in China, also had sharp claws and a mouth full of teeth.
The Headlines · A.I.-Generated Ads Flood the Midterms, and Teenager Kills 4 at Oregon Elementary SchoolA dinosaur roughly as big as a crow had four wings, two on its arms and two on its legs.
The newly identified species, called the Norral raptor, was found in China. A farmer discovered its astonishingly well-preserved skeleton in rock layers more than 120 million years old.
Researchers studying it found sharp claws, a mouth full of teeth, and wings formed from stiff flight feathers like those once used as writing quills, the stiff, lightweight feathers that birds use to fly. One paleontologist described it simply as having four wings.
The find may not stay unusual for long. In recent years, research has pointed to a wider variety of winged dinosaurs than experts had once expected.
Questions people ask
Could it actually fly with four wings?
Probably not like a modern bird. Paleontologists think many four-winged dinosaurs glided from tree to tree or made short, fluttering flights, using the leg wings like extra airfoils for lift and steering. Over time, later birds lost the leg wings and kept just two wings, which are more efficient for powered flight.
What are quill pen feathers?
They are the stiff, vaned feathers with a hollow central shaft, the same kind once used as writing quills. Unlike fluffy down, they form flat surfaces that can push against air. Their presence is a strong clue that the dinosaur used its wings for gliding or flying, not just for warmth or display.