Microraptors ate lizards for lunch | Paleontology

Paleontologists in China have discovered an almost complete and perfectly articulated skeleton of Microraptor zhaoianus, a pigeon-sized and four-winged dinosaur that lived about 120 million years ago and found an extra surprise preserved in its stomach: a prehistoric lizard species up to then unknown.

Microraptor swallowing Wangi Indrasaurus. Image credit: Doyle Trankina.

L & # 39; single Microraptor the specimen was collected from Jiufotang Formation deposits near Jianchang in Liaoning Province, northeastern China, and was acquired by paleontologists in 2005.

Both the dinosaur and the lizard were part of the so-called biota Jehol, a lower Cretaceous terrestrial and freshwater ecosystem preserved in a multi-layered rock formation emerging from the Chinese provinces of Liaoning, Hebei, and Mongolia. interior, renowned for its exceptionally preserved remains. early birds, feathered dinosaurs, primitive mammals and ancient plants.

"This is the fourth documented occurrence of a Microraptor preserve the contents of the stomach, "said Professor Jingmai O'Connor of the Institute of Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of Vertebrates of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other colleagues.

"We now know that this dinosaur is fed mammals, birds, fish and lizards, which reinforces the interpretation that it was a predator opportunistic."

Microraptor preserve the lizard Wangi Indrasaurus in the abdominal cavity. Image credit: O'Connor et al, doi: 10.1016 / j.cub.2019.06.020.

Appointed Wangi Indrasaurus, the lizard had unique teeth in Jehol biota.

The skeleton of the creature is almost complete and articulated, which shows that it was swallowed whole and head first, which means that Microraptor fed in a similar way to carnivorous birds and live lizards.

"Recently, a dinosaur specimen resembling a Jurassic bird Anchiornis has been described with bones belonging to more than one unidentified lizard preserved in the esophagus, interpreted as a gastric lozenge before egestion, "said paleontologists.

"Our data indicates that both Anchiornis and Microraptor had similar, non-specialized diets consistent with their skull architecture and overall similar skeletal proportions: both species feed on lizards and fish and are considered opportunistic predators. "

The discovery is described in a newspaper article Current biology.

_____

Jingmai O'Connor et al. Microraptor with the ingested lizard suggests a non-specialized digestive function. Current biology, published online July 11, 2019; doi: 10.1016 / j.cub.2019.06.020