Stuck wing

Stuck wing

Credit: Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM | R.C. McKellar)

Sticky tree resin captured the wings of two birds 99 million years ago in what is now Myanmar. Most feather fossils are in 2D specimens captured in sedimentary rock, so these findings are extraordinary, showing scientists the structure and color of ancient features during the Cretaceous age. [Read the Full Story on the Mummified Bird Feathers]

Sticky trap

Sticky trap

Credit: Chung-tat Cheung

An ancient, hummingbird-size bird got its wing stuck in sticky tree resin and likely struggled for its life about 99 million years ago. Researchers nicknamed this specimen "Angel Wing."

Elephant transportation

Elephant transportation

Credit: Mo Li

In Myanmar, some locals use elephants for transportation, including for moving amber.

Amber mine

Amber mine

Credit: Mo Li

A young man goes into an amber mine in Myanmar.

Mummified wing

Mummified wing

Credit: Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM | R.C. McKellar)

The other bird wing, nicknamed "Rose" by scientists, can be seen here encased in amber. It's possible that Rose was a severed limb that was torn off by a predator before that animal got stuck in amber. Or perhaps the wing floated free from the rest of the corpse due to resin flows, the researchers said. [Read the Full Story on the Mummified Bird Feathers]

CT scan

CT scan

Credit: Lida Xing

The researchers were able to merge data about the bone and soft tissue together in this digital reconstruction.

Magnified wing

Magnified wing

Credit: Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM | R.C. McKellar)

A close-up of Rose's wing shows the claw and a pale spot on the plumage.

Ancient feather

Ancient feather

Credit: Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM | R.C. McKellar)

A magnified look at Rose's feathers shows where the feathers insert into the bird's skin.

Downy feathers

Downy feathers

Credit: Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM | R.C. McKellar)

Rose's downy feathers are shown here inserting into the skin.

Wing feathers

Wing feathers

Credit: Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM | R.C. McKellar)

Rose's overlapping flight feathers are shown here. Amber polishing gave the researchers a clearer view of the specimen.[Read the Full Story on the Mummified Bird Feathers]

Two scientists

Two scientists

Credit: Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM | R.C. McKellar)

Study researchers Lida Xing (right) and Ryan McKellar (left) hold amber samples from Myanmar (also know as Burma) from the study.

Picture preparation

Picture preparation

Credit: Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM | R.C. McKellar)

One of the amber specimens sits suspended in a glycerin bath, a solution used to prepare the sample for photography at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Canada.

Ancient claw

Ancient claw

Credit: Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM | R.C. McKellar)

The Angel Wing specimen is seen here under a compound microscope. This view shows the pigment banding the feathers and the outline of a claw. [Read the Full Story on the Mummified Bird Feathers]

Reconstructed image

Reconstructed image

Credit: Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM | R.C. McKellar)

This rendering of the Angel Wing specimen was taken at the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility.

Pale underside

Pale underside

Credit: Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM | R.C. McKellar)

The underside of the Angel Wing specimen has pale plumage in contrast to the dark brown plumage on the topside.

Ultraviolet light

Ultraviolet light

Credit: Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM | R.C. McKellar)

The researchers used ultraviolet (UV) light to map the flow lines within the amber on the Angel Wing specimen.

Interlocking feathers

Interlocking feathers

Credit: Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM | R.C. McKellar)

A compound microscope shows the flight-feather barbs and interlocking barbules in the Angel Wing specimen. [Read the Full Story on the Mummified Bird Feathers]