Plenty of modern birds sacrifice agility for a chance to grab attention, but examples among relatives in the fossil record have been harder to come by.

It's the first time a bird-like fossil from the Mesozoic era has been discovered with such a complex array of tail feathers, featuring both a grey fantail and a pair of long black plumes.

The fossil of Yuanchuavis with a corresponding illustration of the tail feathers.

Way back in the Mesozoic era, the ancestors of modern birds did not seem to have long tail ornaments like those found on Yuanchuavis, although they do show fan tails in the fossil record.

"It is well known that sexual selection plays a central role in speciation and recognition in modern birds, attesting to the enormous extravagant feathers, ornaments, vocals, and dances," explains Wang.

Therefore, the well-preserved tail feathers in this new fossil bird provide great new information about how sexual selection has shaped the avian tail from their earliest stage."