A 69-million-year-old skull of Vegavis iaai, a loon-like bird, was found in Antarctica, making it the earliest known modern bird fossil.
Discovered in 2011, the nearly complete skull reveals modern features like a toothless beak and braincase similar to today’s birds.
The skull helps settle debates over Vegavis’ place in the bird family tree and shows traits seen in diving birds like loons or ducks.
The bird lived shortly before the mass extinction event. Its presence in Antarctica hints at possible survival factors linked to the region.
Antarctica, once temperate and forested, may have sheltered species like Vegavis from the asteroid’s devastating climate effects.
The fossil supports the idea that modern birds began evolving in the Southern Hemisphere during the late Cretaceous period.
Scientists believe Antarctica holds key insights into bird evolution, offering clues about how some species outlived the dinosaurs.