Scientists have discovered the skull of the world's smallest-known dinosaur which was embedded&nbsp;in 99-million-year-old amber.

The skull, measuring about half an inch long, belongs to a bird called Oculudentavis khaungraae that lived during the Cretaceous Period.

The research has been published in the journal Nature.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-fossil-footprints-reveal-existence-of-dinosaurs-in-south-africa-183-million-years-ago-277473">Fossil footprints reveal existence of dinosaurs in South Africa 183 million years ago</a>

The bird is tinier than the hummingbird and boasts many odd traits including jaws studded with numerous puny teeth.

None of the rest of the body was preserved, but the researchers estimated that Oculudentavis weighed approximately 28 grams and is 2 inches long.

<img alt="Oculudentavis khaungraae " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c162dedf-5c7a-4531-8f7a-b447f91455a0" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%2833%29_6.jpg" /> 
(In photo: the skull&nbsp;of tiny bird Oculudentavis, whose name means eye-tooth-bird)

"It's probably the most beautifully preserved Mesozoic bird skull I've ever seen, and it's so weird," said palaeontologist Jingmai O'Connor of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing, describing her reaction upon seeing the fossil.

The Mesozoic Era was the age of the dinosaurs.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/researchers-find-distant-relative-of-t-rex-in-argentina-280975">Researchers find distant relative of T-Rex in Argentina</a>

Oculudentavis illustrates the almost-incomprehensible size difference among members of the dinosaur lineage.&nbsp;

"The size diversity hints at the amazing biology of dinosaurs, capable of sustaining such a diversity of forms," said O'Connor, who led the research.

Its eyes resembled those of owls, with the eye bones forming a cone, indicating acute vision, O'Connor said.&nbsp;

Oculudentavis appeared to be smaller than a bee hummingbird until now considered the world's littlest bird.

Oculudentavis shares few similarities, aside from size, with hummingbirds, which like all modern birds lack teeth and eat nectar.&nbsp;

Many Mesozoic birds had teeth, but Oculudentavis possessed 100 teeth which is the most in number. Unlike it, hummingbirds have long beaks.

Scientists have discovered the skull of the world's smallest-known dinosaur which was embedded in 99-million-year-old amber. The skull, measuring about half an inch long, belongs to a bird called Oculudentavis khaungraae that lived during the Cretaceous Period.

Scientists have discovered the skull of the world's smallest-known dinosaur which was embedded in 99-million-year-old amber. The skull, measuring about half an inch long, belongs to a bird called Oculudentavis khaungraae that lived during the Cretaceous Period. The research has been published in the journal Nature. Also read: Fossil footprints reveal existence of dinosaurs in South Africa 183 million years ago The bird is tinier than the hummingbird and boasts many odd traits including jaws studded with numerous puny teeth. None of the rest of the body was preserved, but the researchers estimated that Oculudentavis weighed approximately 28 grams and is 2 inches long. (In photo: the skull of tiny bird Oculudentavis, whose name means eye-tooth-bird) "It's probably the most beautifully preserved Mesozoic bird skull I've ever seen, and it's so weird," said palaeontologist Jingmai O'Connor of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing, describing her reaction upon seeing the fossil. The Mesozoic Era was the age of the dinosaurs. Also read: Researchers find distant relative of T-Rex in Argentina Oculudentavis illustrates the almost-incomprehensible size difference among members of the dinosaur lineage. "The size diversity hints at the amazing biology of dinosaurs, capable of sustaining such a diversity of forms," said O'Connor, who led the research. Its eyes resembled those of owls, with the eye bones forming a cone, indicating acute vision, O'Connor said. Oculudentavis appeared to be smaller than a bee hummingbird until now considered the world's littlest bird. Oculudentavis shares few similarities, aside from size, with hummingbirds, which like all modern birds lack teeth and eat nectar. Many Mesozoic birds had teeth, but Oculudentavis possessed 100 teeth which is the most in number. Unlike it, hummingbirds have long beaks.

World's smallest dinosaur's skull found encased in 99-million-year-old amber

Some 99 million years ago, a juvenile dinosaur got its feathery tail stuck in tree resin, a death trap for the small creature. But its misfortune is now giving scientists unique insight into feathered dinosaurs that prospered during the Cretaceous Period.

Researchers said on Thursday a chunk of amber - fossilised resin - spotted by a Chinese scientist in a market in Myitkyina, Myanmar, last year contained 1.4 inches (36 mm) of the tail of the dinosaur, complete with bones, flesh, skin and feathers. The dinosaur itself was no more than 6 inches (15 cm) long, about the size of a sparrow.

&quot;This is the first of its kind,&quot; said paleontologist Ryan McKellar of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Canada, one of the researchers involved in the study published in the journal Current Biology. &quot;I&#39;m blown away.&quot;

The scientists suspect the tail belonged to a type of two-legged, bird-like dinosaur called a maniraptoran, one of several groups of dinosaurs that possessed feathers. Birds, which first appeared about 150 million years ago during the Jurassic Period, evolved from small, feathered dinosaurs.

The researchers used sophisticated scanning and microscopic observations to study the tail. They determined it boasted a chestnut-brown upper surface, with a pale or white underside, a pattern known as countershading.

&quot;We&#39;re seeing feathers still attached to the tail, and we can see how they attach, the shapes that they have down to the micrometer scale, and things like pigment patterns within the feathers,&quot; McKellar said.

The tail consisted of eight vertebrae, soft tissue and feathers exquisitely preserved in three dimensions.

McKellar said getting its tail stuck in resin &quot;would have been a game-ender for that particular animal. They don&#39;t drop their tails like some lizards.&quot;

The tail&#39;s anatomy enabled the scientists to rule out that it belonged to a bird because it was long and flexible and lacked a pygostyle, fused vertebrae that in birds support the tail feathers.

The discovery also sheds light on the evolution of feathers. The ones trapped in the amber were more primitive than those of birds, lacking much of the central shaft seen in bird feathers.

Amber has long been a boon to paleontologists. Numerous creatures have been found entombed in amber, including insects, lizards, amphibians, mammals and birds, as well as plants including flowers.

(Reuters)

The sparrow sized dino's 1.4 inches of the tail was perfectly preserved, complete with bones, flesh, skin and feathers

Some 99 million years ago, a juvenile dinosaur got its feathery tail stuck in tree resin, a death trap for the small creature. But its misfortune is now giving scientists unique insight into feathered dinosaurs that prospered during the Cretaceous Period. Researchers said on Thursday a chunk of amber - fossilised resin - spotted by a Chinese scientist in a market in Myitkyina, Myanmar, last year contained 1.4 inches (36 mm) of the tail of the dinosaur, complete with bones, flesh, skin and feathers. The dinosaur itself was no more than 6 inches (15 cm) long, about the size of a sparrow. "This is the first of its kind," said paleontologist Ryan McKellar of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Canada, one of the researchers involved in the study published in the journal Current Biology. "I'm blown away." The scientists suspect the tail belonged to a type of two-legged, bird-like dinosaur called a maniraptoran, one of several groups of dinosaurs that possessed feathers. Birds, which first appeared about 150 million years ago during the Jurassic Period, evolved from small, feathered dinosaurs. The researchers used sophisticated scanning and microscopic observations to study the tail. They determined it boasted a chestnut-brown upper surface, with a pale or white underside, a pattern known as countershading. "We're seeing feathers still attached to the tail, and we can see how they attach, the shapes that they have down to the micrometer scale, and things like pigment patterns within the feathers," McKellar said. The tail consisted of eight vertebrae, soft tissue and feathers exquisitely preserved in three dimensions. McKellar said getting its tail stuck in resin "would have been a game-ender for that particular animal. They don't drop their tails like some lizards." The tail's anatomy enabled the scientists to rule out that it belonged to a bird because it was long and flexible and lacked a pygostyle, fused vertebrae that in birds support the tail feathers. The discovery also sheds light on the evolution of feathers. The ones trapped in the amber were more primitive than those of birds, lacking much of the central shaft seen in bird feathers. Amber has long been a boon to paleontologists. Numerous creatures have been found entombed in amber, including insects, lizards, amphibians, mammals and birds, as well as plants including flowers. (Reuters)

Dinosaur tail found preserved in amber

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World's smallest dinosaur's skull found encased in 99-million-year-old amber

Dinosaur tail found preserved in amber