The dinosaur that could change the way we look at birds

Eosinopteryx roamed the earth long before the bird-like beasts it was thought birds evolved from

The discovery of a new feathered dinosaur will change the way we look at birds forever, scientists claimed today.

The fossil of a 30cm long creature from the Jurassic period is set to challenge widely accepted views on the origin of flight.

In a groundbreaking study, experts have revealed how the Eosinopteryx roamed the earth long before the bird-like beasts it was thought birds evolved from.

How Eosinopteryx might have looked: Scientists studying the fossilised remains of the new dinosaur say its discovery will rewrite theories of how birds evolved the ability to fly

Scientists previously believed that birds evolved from dinosaurs called theropods from the Early Cretaceous period, about 120-130million years ago.

But recent discoveries in north-eastern China of much older feathered dinosaurs from the older Middle-Late Jurassic period have cast doubt on the old theory.

The Eosinopteryx would have been around on Earth more than 145million years ago.

Dr Gareth Dyke, Senior Lecturer in Vertebrate Palaeontology at the University of Southampton, Hants, co-wrote a report on the exciting findings.

He said: 'This discovery sheds further doubt on the theory that the famous fossil Archaeopteryx - or "first bird" as it is sometimes referred to - was pivotal in the evolution of modern birds.

'Our findings suggest that the origin of flight was much more complex than previously thought.'

An artist's impression of Archaeopteryx: Dr Gareth Dyke, of the University of Southampton, says the study casts doubt on this creature's role in the evolution of flight

The fossilised remains found in north-eastern China indicate that, while feathered, this was a flightless dinosaur, because of its small wingspan and a bone structure that would have restricted its ability to flap its wings.

The dinosaur also had toes suited to walking along the ground and fewer feathers on its tail and lower legs, which would have made it easier to run.

Dr Dyke is based at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton.