October 15, 2016

Artistic concept of Vegavis iaai in its habitat with its syrinx highlighted (Image courtesy Nicole Fuller/Sayo Art for UT Austin)

An article published in the journal “Nature” describes a research on the vocal organs of Vegavis iaai, a bird that lived over 66 million years ago, at the end of the dinosaurs era. The analysis of the fossils discovered in 1992 Antarctica’s Vega Island showed that they include the syrinx, the anatomic structure that allows birds to sing or chirp. This demonstrates for the first time that even such ancient birds had such capabilities.