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Ancient Bird Skull Found in Antarctica's Cretaceous Treasure

2/5/2025

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Summary

Story summary

A remarkable discovery in Antarctica reveals a nearly complete skull fossil of Vegavis iaai, an ancient bird that lived 69 million years ago. With its toothless beak and powerful jaw muscles, this precursor to modern ducks and geese sheds light on avian evolution and underscores Antarctica's significance in the bird lineage during the Cretaceous period.

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Story summary

A remarkable discovery in Antarctica reveals a nearly complete skull fossil of Vegavis iaai, an ancient bird that lived 69 million years ago. With its toothless beak and powerful jaw muscles, this precursor to modern ducks and geese sheds light on avian evolution and underscores Antarctica's significance in the bird lineage during the Cretaceous period.