When I was a kid it was an article of scientific fact that Archaeopteryx was the first bird-like creature known to man. Scientific knowledge, however, never stands still. Our understanding of the relationship between dinosaurs and birds continues to evolve, and this paper in Nature Communications presents a newly discovered creature from China, Eosinopteryx, which opens up whole new areas of investigation.

I found out about this story here. I’m not entirely sure why an expert in Vertebrate Palaeontology such as Dr. Dyke should be based at the National Oceanographic Centre, but I am allowing myself a small amount of alumnus pride.