ForumIAS LATEST
- 15 Sept. | Current Affairs Pre-cum-Mains 2027 Morning 11 AM batch starts from 15th Sept. Click Here to Read More →
- 14 Sept. | Forum Residential Coaching (FRC) for UPSC preparation Click Here to know more →
- 14 Sept. | GS Advance Program (GSAP) for UPSC 2027 Mains starts from 14th Sept. Click Here to Read More →
- Researchers have discovered a bird foot from 99 million years ago that had a hyper-elongated third toe.This is the first time such a foot structure has been observed in birds either extinct or living
- The researchers named it Elektorornis chenguangi. Elektronis means “amber bird”.It belongs to a group of extinct birds called Enantiornithes, the most abundant type of bird known from the Mesozoic era.
- It is thought that Enantiornithines became extinct during the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event about 66 million years ago, along with dinosaurs.They have no living descendants.
- Based on the fossil,the team estimated that the Elektorornis was smaller than a sparrow and it was arboreal which means it spent most of its time in trees as opposed to on the ground or in water.
- Further,they have said that this bird may have used the long, sensitive toe to probe cracks in trees for insects and grubs.
