Microraptor Had Four Wings and Was One of the First Gliding Animals
Microraptor, a crow-sized dromaeosaurid from Early Cretaceous China (125 Ma), had flight feathers on both its forelimbs and hind limbs — giving it four functional wings. Studies of its feathers and anatomy suggest it could glide between trees in a biplane configuration. Remarkably, stomach contents reveal it ate fish, birds, and lizards, making it one of the most versatile predators of its size in dinosaur history.