Xu Xing, a Chinese palaeontologist has presented information about Anchiornis huxleyi, a spectacularly preserved feathered dinosaur, at the annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Palaeontology in Bristol. Two specimens of Anchiornis have been discovered and they have plumage covering the arms, feet and tail in a four winged arrangement. This feathered dinosaur has been classified as a Troodontid, a bird-like group of theropods. It predates Archaeopteryx by some 10 million years and potentially puts the clock back for bird evolution.

The two specimens of Anchiornis huxleyi were both discovered in Liaoning, in China. These avian dinosaurs are about 86cms long and weigh about 110gms. They are named after Thomas Henry Huxley – a contemporary of Charles Darwin and a staunch defender of his theory of evolution. He was also one of the first people to propose the idea of birds evolving from dinosaurs.