Shoulder and upper arm fossils identified Jian changmaensis as a new microraptor species and the likely source of regurgitated bird bones found for decades in China’s Changma Basin.
The 1.22-meter-winged dinosaur appears to have glided on feathered arms and legs, with birdlike elbow condyles and a longer coracoid suggesting stronger aerial ability than other known microraptors.
More than 100 prehistoric bird remains have been unearthed at the site since 2002, but this is the first nonavian dinosaur specimen recovered from that ancient ecosystem.
The find also expands the known range of microraptors beyond northeastern China and offers new evidence that multiple dinosaur lineages—not just early birds—were experimenting with flight 120 million years ago.