New research led by the University of Alberta in Canada shows that the Microraptor, a four-winged dinosaur, had a more extensive diet than previously thought. A close examination of fossilized remains shows that the dinosaur had an affinity for fish, and the teeth to back it up.
The findings stem from Microraptor fossils discovered in China, where they were preserved in volcanic ash, making the stomach contents of the dinosaur easy to identify. This, along with inspection of the Microraptor's teeth, which are specifically designed to grasp slippery prey like fish, led the scientists to conclude that Microraptors actively hunted fish, and were quite adept at it.
"Microraptor seems adapted to impale fish on its teeth. With reduced serrations the prey wouldn't tear itself apart while it struggled," said Scott Persons, a graduate student at the University of Alberta. "Microraptor could simply raise its head back, the fish would slip off the teeth and be swallowed whole, no fuss no muss."
Microraptors were not only equipped with feathers its arms and tail, but also on its legs, leading them to be called the "four-winged dinosaur." The dinosaurs are about the same size as modern-day hawks, and most scientists previously thought they exclusively hunted small animals and other land-based prey from their treetop homes. The new findings on the creature's behavior are rather illuminating, as Microraptors provide an important evolutionary link in the avian lineage. This is the first documentation of a dinosaur from the Dromaeosaur family preying on fish.
The Microraptor, with its "four wings," is believed to be capable of short, controlled flights, not just gliding.
You can read the published study online in the journal Evolution.