Paleontologists have presented the description of a new species of small predatory dinosaurs belonging to the clade Microraptorinae. This group of dinosaurs is known for some of its members having elongated feathers not only on their forelimbs but also on their hind limbs, making them four-winged.
There is a hypothesis that these animals might have moved from one tree to another, but the possibility of active flight cannot be completely ruled out for them. The new species was found in China and has been given the scientific name Norellraptor barsboldi.
By integrating this new species into the phylogenetic tree of Microraptorinae, researchers were able to show that as dinosaurs and their ancestors leading to birds independently developed the ability to fly, they acquired at least 57 shared anatomical characteristics. These research findings were published in the scientific journal Nature.