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This March 2020 photo provided by researcher Daniel J. Field shows him holding a life-size 3D print of the Asteriornis maastrichtensis "Wonderchicken" skull in Cambridge, England. With a face like those of today's chicken-like birds and a back portion like that of living duck-like birds, the skull comes from a creature that appears to be near the last ancestor shared by those two groups, according to a report released on Wednesday, March 18, 2020. (Courtesy Daniel J. Field/University of Cambridge via AP)

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A tiny fossil skull nicknamed “Wonderchicken” is giving scientists a rare glimpse at early ancestors of today’s birds. It may be the oldest known fossil from this group.

By MALCOLM RITTER, Associated Press March 22, 2020