A team of paleontologists in the French Jura Mountains has described a new species of theropod, Pteropteryx jurensis, which lived approximately 160 million years ago. The fossil is notable for possessing both filamentous feathers and a leathery skin membrane similar to that of a bat, allowing it to glide between prehistoric conifers.
This discovery confirms that gliding flight evolved multiple times across different dinosaur lineages during the Middle Jurassic. The specimen’s stomach contents were also preserved, revealing a diet consisting of early beetles, providing a complete picture of the ecological niche occupied by these small, arboreal predators.