Cretaceous fossil birds from China

The explosive radiation of early birds has been well documented by the extraordinary discoveries of the Early Cretaceous fossil birds from China in the past three decades. They have greatly expanded the diversity, disparity, and temporal distribution of Mesozoic birds, refining our knowledge of the evolutionary path leading to the characteristic avian body plan, such as feathers and powered flight, locomotion and habitat differentiation, diet and digestion, reproduction and development, feather colors and display. In addition, studies on the geological background of the Jehol Biota that produced the majority of the Chinese Cretaceous birds have provided important clues to our understanding of the taphonomy as well as the interaction between deep geology process and biological evolution in northeastern China and East Asia during the Early Cretaceous. Future multidisciplinary studies are expected to advance our knowledge of how the paleogeography of Early Cretaceous birds was formed, what had impacted the changes of the diversity of early birds in China, and the roles of early birds had played in the Early Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem.