, July 5 -- Chinese researchers have discovered a new Jurassic bird fossil that is changing scientists' understanding of how birds evolved shorter tails, according to a study published online in the journal Science Advances on Thursday.

The fossil, named Zhengheornis buyu, was discovered by a joint research team from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Geological Sciences in east China's Fujian Province.

Researchers found that the bird had a short tail made up of only 15 shortened tail vertebrae but lacked a fused pygostyle, a bone found at the end of the tails of modern birds. By comparison, other long-tailed ancient birds had many more tail vertebrae...