Q&A: Ancient bird species found in China's Liaoning had extra-long tail feathers for elaborate courtship‎

A recently discovered extinct bird from the early Cretaceous Period (approximately 121 million years ago) may have waggled its long tail feathers to attract mates, according to a study published May 27, 2026 in the open-access journal PLOS One by Alexander Clark of the University of Chicago and colleagues. Clark shares more details about his team's findings in the following Q&A.