Imparavis

Imparavis is the earliest known toothless bird from a group called enantiornithines, or 'opposite birds'. Scientists used to think toothlessness in this group appeared only about 72 million years ago, but Imparavis pushes that back by 48 to 50 million years.2

Its name means 'odd bird' in Latin, and it was named after the famous naturalist Sir David Attenborough.1

Imparavis had a large bony crest on its upper arm bone where muscles attached. This might have let it flap its wings with extra power, similar to modern birds like puffins or quails.2

The fossil was found by an amateur collector and donated to the Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature in China.2

Imparavis lived alongside many other early birds and dinosaurs in the Early Cretaceous period, about 120 million years ago.13

Unlike most other enantiornithines, which lived mainly in trees, Imparavis might have spent time on the ground foraging for food, like a modern robin.2