Newly Discovered Fossils Reveal Birds Have Been Nesting in the Arctic Circle for Almost 73 Million Years
Ancient fossils have revealed some new insights about the Arctic. Researchers have analyzed a group of 50 remains from northern Alaska, which has pushed the presence of birds in the area 25 million years back, according to Live Science. The collection included the remains of several embryos as well as hatchlings. Findings regarding this collection have been published in Science.
Examinations of the fossils indicated that birds have been nesting in the Arctic environment for 73 million years. The result was 25 million years older than what was previously known. These findings further implied that some of the early ancestors of modern birds either migrated to a harsh polar environment or adapted to it in the midst of the Mesozoic era. If true, this is the earliest evidence of such practices amongst birds.
The fossils showcase that birds were part of high-latitude communities for millions of years, and these communities themselves are not an innovation but an age-old establishment. In total, three groups were detected in the collection. These birds possibly faced a lot of challenges in their habitat, from extreme environments to dangerous predators like dinosaurs. However, their adaptations may have aided them in taking on these challenges.
The evidence indicated that dinosaurs shared the Arctic with several bird species as a habitat, according to The Guardian. Prof. Patrick Druckenmiller, director of the University of Alaska Museum of the North and a co-author of the study, believes that these fossils will aid them in figuring out the still mysterious subject of bird evolution. Though it is known that birds originated in the Late Jurassic period, around 150 million years ago, ancient bird fossils have been rare to find. This is mainly because of the delicate nature of bird bones. The collection is possibly the first time bird fossils have been detected in Alaska.
The team carefully excavated the fossils from the Prince Creek Formation in northern Alaska. In the case of small sandy deposits, the experts washed as well as sieved the remains to ensure that tiny fossils were properly isolated. Many of the remains were even less than 2mm in size. One of the species detected in this collection was identified to be from the now-extinct group called Ichthyornithes by experts. Another extinct group spotted in the collection was Hesperornithes. The former looked like a toothed seagull, while the latter resembled a diving bird moving with its feet and exhibiting teeth.
Researchers believe that some of the prehistoric fossils in the collection could have been the relatives of modern bird species. This assertion was made based on the fact that those particular fossils showed no signs of teeth, a prominent feature of the group Neornithes, which includes all modern birds and their common ancestor.
If the fossils are indeed connected to modern birds, then those particular remains will be the oldest of their kind, stated Sci News. At present, the earliest fossil of modern birds has been deemed to be 69 million years old. Researchers associated with this study claim that they need a partial or full skeleton to determine whether the fossils in the collection are in any way tethered to modern birds.
Experts think the discovery showcases how the Arctic is not only a nursery of modern birds but also a haven for Cretaceous bird fossils. “We put Alaska on the map for fossil birds. It wasn’t on anyone’s radar,” Dr. Druckenmiller added. “We are now one of the best places in the nation for bird fossils from the age of the dinosaurs.” Researchers are sure that further analysis will reveal more insights about animals that lived in the Mesozoic era.