ɪɴ ᴀ ɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅʙʀᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴅɪsᴄᴏᴠᴇʀʏ, ᴀ ᴛᴇᴀᴍ ᴏғ ᴀʀᴄʜᴀᴇᴏʟᴏɢɪsᴛs ʜᴀs ʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛᴇᴅʟʏ ᴜɴᴄᴏᴠᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴍᴀssɪᴠᴇ sᴋᴇʟᴇᴛᴏɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴇɴᴏʀᴍᴏᴜs ᴡɪɴɢs, ʀᴀɪsɪɴɢ ᴍᴀɴʏ ǫᴜᴇsᴛɪᴏɴs ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ’s ɪᴅᴇɴᴛɪᴛʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏʀɪɢɪɴs

ᴀᴄᴄᴏʀᴅɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛs, ᴛʜᴇ sᴋᴇʟᴇᴛᴏɴ ᴡᴀs ᴅɪsᴄᴏᴠᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴀɴ ᴇxᴄᴀᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀᴛ ᴀɴ ᴜɴᴅɪsᴄʟᴏsᴇᴅ ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪᴅᴅʟᴇ ᴇᴀsᴛ. ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇsᴇᴀʀᴄʜᴇʀs ᴡᴇʀᴇ sᴛᴜɴɴᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜᴇ sɪᴢᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ sᴋᴇʟᴇᴛᴏɴ, ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡᴀs ᴇsᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴏᴠᴇʀ 𝟸𝟶 ғᴇᴇᴛ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀ ᴡɪɴɢsᴘᴀɴ ᴏғ ᴀᴛ ʟᴇᴀsᴛ 𝟹𝟶 ғᴇᴇᴛ.

ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇsᴇᴀʀᴄʜᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ʜᴇsɪᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴊᴜᴍᴘ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴᴄʟᴜsɪᴏɴs, ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪsᴄᴏᴠᴇʀʏ ʜᴀs sᴘᴀʀᴋᴇᴅ sᴘᴇᴄᴜʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏssɪʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴀɴ ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴇs ᴏғ ʙɪʀᴅ ᴏʀ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴀɴ ᴀɴɢᴇʟ ғʀᴏᴍ ʀᴇʟɪɢɪᴏᴜs ᴛᴇxᴛs.

“ᴡᴇ’ʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇʟʏ sᴜʀᴇ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ’ʀᴇ ᴅᴇᴀʟɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇʀᴇ,” sᴀɪᴅ ᴅʀ. ᴊᴏʜɴ sᴍɪᴛʜ, ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴅ ᴀʀᴄʜᴀᴇᴏʟᴏɢɪsᴛ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴊᴇᴄᴛ. “ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪɴɢs ᴀʀᴇ ᴜɴʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴡᴇ’ᴠᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀ sᴇᴇɴ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ. ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴠᴇʀʏ ʙɪʀᴅ-ʟɪᴋᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʟsᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴᴏɪᴅ sᴛʀᴜᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. ɪᴛ’s ǫᴜɪᴛᴇ ᴘᴇʀᴘʟᴇxɪɴɢ.”

ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪsᴄᴏᴠᴇʀʏ ʜᴀs ᴀʟsᴏ ʀᴀɪsᴇᴅ ǫᴜᴇsᴛɪᴏɴs ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇxɪsᴛᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏғ ᴀɴɢᴇʟs ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ sᴜᴘᴇʀɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟ ʙᴇɪɴɢs, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀɪɴɢ ɪғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴇᴠɪᴅᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴇxɪsᴛᴇɴᴄᴇ.

ʜᴏᴡᴇᴠᴇʀ, ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴇxᴘᴇʀᴛs ᴀʀᴇ ᴄᴀᴜᴛɪᴏɴɪɴɢ ᴀɢᴀɪɴsᴛ ᴊᴜᴍᴘɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴᴄʟᴜsɪᴏɴs ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʀᴇ ᴄᴀʟʟɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴇᴠɪᴅᴇɴᴄᴇ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴀɴʏ ʙᴏʟᴅ ᴄʟᴀɪᴍs.

“ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ɪɴғᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ɪᴛ’s ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴛᴏ sᴀʏ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜɪs ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ,” sᴀɪᴅ ᴅʀ. ᴊᴀɴᴇ ᴅᴏᴇ, ᴀ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟɪsᴛ ɪɴ ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴇs. “ᴡᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴᴅᴜᴄᴛ ғᴜʀᴛʜᴇʀ ʀᴇsᴇᴀʀᴄʜ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀɴᴀʟʏsɪs ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴀɴʏ ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛɪᴠᴇ sᴛᴀᴛᴇᴍᴇɴᴛs.”

ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪsᴄᴏᴠᴇʀʏ ɪs ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴅʀᴀᴡ sɪɢɴɪғɪᴄᴀɴᴛ ᴀᴛᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ sᴄɪᴇɴᴛɪғɪᴄ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴛʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀʟ ᴘᴜʙʟɪᴄ ᴀʟɪᴋᴇ, ᴀs ʀᴇsᴇᴀʀᴄʜᴇʀs ᴡᴏʀᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴜɴʀᴀᴠᴇʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀɪᴇs sᴜʀʀᴏᴜɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs ᴇxᴛʀᴀᴏʀᴅɪɴᴀʀʏ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ.

Skeleton of paratype of Icaronycteris gunnelli (ROM:Palaeobiology-Vertebrate Fossils:52666).