Reptiles More Than Once-Winged Dinosaur

Feather fossil evidence shows that birds are descendants of dinosaurs. But there is one animal that does not include the dinosaurs became extinct, and has a body structure like wings.

Proclaimed New Scientist, the animal is named Longisquama insignis. They live in the 230 to 240 million years ago, before dinosaurs evolved. In addition, they also exist in the 70 to 80 million years ago, before the first fossil bird feathers.

Some paleontologists argue that Longisquama fossils found in Kyrgystan in 1960, only a dead animal under the orders of a kind of exotic. So the fur on its back namak Longisquama not part of the body. But there is also the opinion that it is a real feather wings Longisquama. Recent analysis proves it wrong a second opinion.

"The extension of the skin which is not peculiar to the bones and fur Longisquama. Body structure is possibly related to the early evolution of dinosaurs and pterosaurs wings," said Michael Buchwitz from the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology.

Buchwitz analysis shows that the basic structure of the body it was attached so close to the spine. This means that it is embedded in the body structure behind the skin layer. However, the body does not have a structure like a real fur, and thought to be formed using the same growth genes by forming feathers.

Longisquama bones are still not complete to be able to determine its position in the evolution. But Buchwitz argued that retail could be located in the lineage that produces pterosaurs, crocodiles, dinosaurs and birds.