Overview

• The fossil assemblage comprises over 50 tiny bones, many under 2 mm, from embryos or hatchlings of diving birds, gull-like species and duck- and goose-like waterfowl.
• Dating to the Late Cretaceous, these remains push the record of avian polar breeding back by 25 to 30 million years beyond previous evidence.
• Several specimens exhibit Neornithes characteristics—such as a lack of true teeth—indicating modern bird lineages were already present in Arctic ecosystems.
• Paleoenvironmental data suggest the Prince Creek habitat experienced roughly six months of continuous summer daylight and four months of winter darkness, highlighting early avian seasonal adaptations.
• Researchers used meticulous excavation and laboratory sieving techniques to isolate these microscopic bones and teeth from sandy river deposits on Alaska’s North Slope.