Fossils of first bird with teeth discovered

A study of the teeth of a new species of early bird, Sulcavis geeorum, suggested this bird had a durophagous diet, meaning the bird's teeth were capable of eating prey with hard exoskeletons like insects or crabs.

The researchers believe the teeth of the new specimen greatly increase the known diversity of tooth shape in early birds, and hints at previously unrecognised ecological diversity, the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology reported.

Sulcavis geeorum is an enantiornithine bird from the Early Cretaceous (121-125 million years ago) of Liaoning Province, China.

Enantiornithine birds are an early group of birds, and the most numerous birds from the Mesozoic (the time of the dinosaurs).

Sulcavis is the first discovery of a bird with ornamented tooth enamel. The dinosaurs