How old is the wonder chicken fossil?

66.7 million years old
Bottom line: A fossil bird skull found in Belgium, dated to 66.7 million years old, is the oldest known modern bird fossil. Nicknamed “Wonderchicken,” it’s been described as a “mash-up” of a chicken and a duck, and could be related to the direct ancestor of modern ducks and chickens.

What is the oldest chicken fossil?

Meet ‘Wonderchicken’, the oldest known fossil of a modern bird

• 66.7-million-year-old ‘Wonderchicken’ fossil found in limestone quarry.
• Researchers think it may be close to the last common ancestor of modern chickens and ducks.
• High-resolution X-ray CT scans used to scan the fossil without removing it from rock.

What is the oldest bird fossil?

Oldest bird fossil discovered, nicknamed ‘wonderchicken’

• The tiny fossil dates to more than 66 million years ago.
• “This is one of the best-preserved fossil bird skulls of any age.”
• The fossil provides the best evidence yet of when and how the earliest ancestors of today’s birds evolved.

Are chickens descended from dinosaurs?

Chickens Birds descended from a group of two-legged dinosaurs known as theropods, the members of which include the powerful predator Tyrannosaurus rex and the smaller Velociraptors.

Which is older birds or dinosaurs?

Modern birds originated a hundred million years ago—long before the demise of dinosaurs, according to new research. Fossil records suggest that modern birds originated 60 million years ago, after the end of the Cretaceous period about 65 million years ago when dinosaurs died off.

What bird has been on Earth the longest?

Wisdom, a female Laysan albatross, is the oldest known bird in the wild – she is also the world’s oldest banded (tracked) bird. In late 2017, Wisdom was in the news because she had laid an egg at the age of 67!

Did the T Rex evolve into a chicken?

ANSWER: Yes. Science has revealed compelling evidence that the T. rex actually evolved into a chicken. The Chicken is the Tyrannosaurs’ closest living relative.