Overview
- The study published Saturday, June 13, 2026, names Jian changmaensis based on five shoulder and arm bones recovered from the Changma Basin in Gansu Province.
- CT‑scan and comparative anatomy place the specimen within microraptorines, a dromaeosaur subgroup closely related to the lineage that led to birds.
- The single preserved upper arm measures just over four inches, which the authors use to estimate a wingspan near four feet similar to a barn owl and among the larger microraptors known.
- Researchers infer long feathers on forelimbs and hindlimbs and probable gliding ability, and they propose Jian was an opportunistic ambush predator that ate the abundant local birds.
- Because the species is described from limited limb material, the team treats behavioral and full‑body reconstructions as provisional and says new finds will be needed to confirm anatomy and ecology.