Palaeontologist Xing Xu bends low over a beautifully preserved specimen of the ancient bird species Sapeornis, entombed in a glass museum cabinet in Shandong Province, China. The birds spindly legs stretch as if it were about to stride forward, even though the creature has been dead for more than 110 million years. From its chicken-sized body juts a fine neck, a delicate skull and the clear imprint of a long, jaunty tail feather - something never seen before in this species.
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