Bird beak revealed by laser imaging informs early beak function and development

Confuciusornis was a crow-like fossil bird that lived in the Cretaceous ~120 million years ago. It was one of the first birds to evolve a beak. Early beak evolution remains understudied. Using an imaging technique called Laser-Stimulated Fluorescence, researchers address this by revealing just how different the beak and jaw of Confuciusornis were compared to birds we see today.