Tiny Feathered Dinosaur Glided Between Trees Like a Flying Squirrel
The News
Paleontologists in northwestern China have just announced a brand-new species of feathered dinosaur called Jian changmaensis (say it like "jee-AHN chang-MEN-sis"). It lived about 120 million years ago, was about the size of a barn owl, and had long feathers on its arms and its legs — giving it the look of having four wings . Scientists don't think it could really fly, but they're pretty sure it could climb trees and glide from branch to branch — just like a modern flying squirrel. Fossils of ancient bird bones nearby suggest this little guy hunted birds for dinner!
Professor Pip patted his lab-coat pockets and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "Aha! Just the thing for a hillside afternoon."
Mia, Leo, and their friend Asha sat cross-legged in the grass under a tall pine. Pip's tail swished as he unfolded the paper into… a strange little paper airplane. It had wings on top — and another set of wings on the bottom.
"Four wings?" asked Leo, head tilted.
"That can't be right," said Asha.
"Curiouser and curiouser, my friends." Pip's eyes twinkled. "Today, we learn about a tiny dinosaur that was discovered in China — about the size of a barn owl, with feathers on all four of its limbs." He lifted the paper glider up high. "Watch."
He released it. WHOOOOSH. The little four-winged plane drifted in a gentle, looping path through the dappled sunlight, all the way down to Asha's lap. The kids cheered.
"It didn't go like a normal plane!" Mia said. "It just floated down."
"Exactly," said Pip. He adjusted his slipping spectacles. "It didn't flap. It didn't have an engine. It just used the air to slooooowly fall sideways. That's called gliding. And it's exactly what this little dinosaur — Jian changmaensis — probably did 120 million years ago."
"From where?" Leo asked.
"From up in the trees!" Pip pointed at the pine branches above. "Scientists think it climbed up high with its little claws, spread out its feathered arms and legs, and… whoosh… glided from one tree to the next. It couldn't fly the way a real bird does. But by catching the air with all those feathers, it could travel surprisingly far without falling."
"Oh!" Asha bounced. "Like a flying squirrel!"
"Precisely right, Asha!" Pip clapped his paws. "Flying squirrels have flaps of skin to catch the air. This dinosaur had feathers. Different design, same trick."
Pip looked up at the leaves whispering above them. "And here's something to wonder about. Dinosaurs like this one are tiny clues — little stepping stones in a long, long story of how some dinosaurs eventually became birds. Every robin, every owl, every chickadee you see is a far-away grandchild of creatures like this."
He handed each child a paper square. "Now you try. Fold them however you like. See whose glider catches the air the best."
Spark a Conversation
- Why does a paper airplane stay in the air longer than a paper ball?
- What animals today are gliders instead of true fliers? (Hint: flying squirrels, sugar gliders, flying fish, flying snakes!)
- If you had four wings instead of two, what would they let you do?