A 47-million-year-old fossil owl discovered in Germany’s Messel Pit is offering new insights into when owls evolved their predominantly nocturnal lifestyle. Named Masillastrix blattophaga, the tiny bird’s preserved stomach contents, feather structure and wing bones suggest it was active during daylight. A study published in Current Biology estimates that owls transitioned towards nocturnal behaviour between 47 million and 35 million years ago, although the evolutionary reasons behind the shift remain unclear.
