What surprising component of the diet of *Longipteryx chaoyangensis* was revealed by stomach content analysis?
Answer
Small, round, fossilized seeds from ancient flowering plants
The species *Longipteryx chaoyangensis*, despite possessing an elongated skull shape that initially suggested a fish-eating diet similar to *Yanornis*, provided a major revelation concerning early avian resource utilization. Analysis performed on the contents of its stomach revealed the presence of small, round, fossilized seeds derived from ancient flowering plants. This evidence demonstrated that this specific enantiornithine possessed a mixed diet that incorporated fruit, marking a significant divergence from assumptions based purely on its morphology and the diets of other contemporaneous toothed birds.
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