Jianchangmaensis: Four-winged gliding dinosaur discovered

Scientists have discovered a new species of dinosaur that was a close relative of the Velociraptor. This creature likely used four feathered limbs to glide through the ancient skies of northwestern China, hunting down early birds

For years, paleontologists working in the Changma Basin of northwestern China were faced with a mystery. The ancient fossil bed was packed with the remains of hundreds of prehistoric birds, but some had broken bones crushed into pellets.

These closely resembled the pellets coughed up by modern owls after they eat, which strongly suggested an unknown predator was hunting them.

A study published in the Annals of the Carnegie Museum identifies the likely culprit: a newly discovered feathered dinosaur named Jianchangmaensis (Jian).

Meet the four-winged glider

The newly discovered dinosaur belongs to a specific group within the raptor family known as microraptors. While birds and dinosaurs are distinct groups, they lived together for tens of millions of years, and raptors were close cousins of early bird-dinosaurs, sharing traits such as speed and feather coverings.

Even though scientists only recovered a single fossilized arm and shoulder from this new species, those bones provided major clues:

• Impressive size:

  • Most microraptors were tiny, roughly the size of a crow. Jian changmaensis is one of the largest ever found. Its four-inch upper arm bone indicates the creature had a four-foot wingspan, making it about the size of a modern barn owl.

• Four-winged design:

  • Based on its close relatives, researchers believe Jianchangmaensis had long feathers growing on both its arms and its legs, giving it a four-winged appearance.

• Squirrel-like gliding:

  • The dinosaur could not achieve true, powered flight. Instead, it likely launched itself from high spots and glided through the air like a modern flying squirrel.

Why does this discovery matter?

The dinosaur’s name honors both its physical traits and its home. In Chinese mythology, a “Jian” is a legendary winged creature, while “changmaensis” points directly to the Changma Basin where it was found.

Out of more than a hundred bird fossils pulled from this specific site, this is the very first non-bird dinosaur skeleton ever found there. This lone predator gives scientists an invaluable look into the dangerous world that the earliest ancestors of modern birds had to survive.

By studying how these early birds interacted with their gliding dinosaur cousins 120 million years ago, paleontologists can better understand the environment that shaped early birds, which are now some of the most successful animals on Earth today.