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Do scientists believe the Microraptor could fly?

The recently discovered Microraptor gui—a feathered dinosaur found in northeastern China that lived about 125 million years ago—was only 30 inches (77 centimeters) long. These creatures had not one, but two sets of wings, one on top of the other, making them look like a kind of early animal “biplane.” Because of this, scientists believe that the Microraptor could not fly, but would glide from tree to tree, or even hop and glide from place to place. Unlike many birds today, the Microraptor probably could not land on the ground after jumping from a tree. Based on its structure, its wings did not act like a parachute, so they would have crashed to the ground.



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