"One of a kind": Remains of a small bird from the dinosaur era have filled a 70-million-year gap in our understanding of prehistoric life.

Scientists from the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, have virtually reconstructed the brain of a Mesozoic bird, which has aided in understanding the evolution of intelligence in modern birds. This was achieved thanks to a remarkably well-preserved skull belonging to the species Navaornis, which existed over 70 million years ago.

"This may be just one fossil, but it is a crucial piece in the puzzle of bird brain evolution," commented Dr. Navalon, head of the Department of Earth Sciences at Cambridge.

The research has shed light on the period between the dominance of Archaeopteryx (the oldest genus of extinct birds) that lived on Earth 150 million years ago and modern birds. Navaornis came after Archaeopteryx and served as a bridge between contemporary birds and their ancestors. This species was only discovered in 2016.

As a result of the studies, researchers found that Navaornis had a larger brain than Archaeopteryx, indicating more advanced cognitive abilities compared to the earliest bird-like dinosaurs. However, most areas of the Navaornis brain were underdeveloped when compared to the complex cognitive mechanisms of modern birds.

"This fossil is so unique that I was amazed from the moment I first saw it until I finished assembling all the skull bones and brain, allowing us to fully appreciate the anatomy of this early bird," added Dr. Navalon.

It is worth noting that a new study by scientists at Columbia University suggested that dinosaurs became the dominant species on Earth as a result of a "volcanic winter."