This 99-Million-Year-Old Bird Trapped in Amber Had A Mystifying Toe

A long-toed bird preserved in amber from Myanmar is the first of its kind.

By Gemma Tarlach
Dec 20, 2019 4:00 PMApr 18, 2020 9:33 PM
Elektorornis chenguangi Long Toe Amber Bird - Zhongda Zhang
An artist’s rendering suggests Elektorornis chenguangi used its long third toe to find food. But researchers don’t really know why the bird, preserved in amber, evolved the unique digit, which is longer than its entire lower leg bone. (Credit: Zhongda Zhang)

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Smaller than a sparrow, a 99-million-year-old bird preserved in amber made some very big news in July.

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