The (fossil) eyes have it: Evidence that an ancient owl hunted in daylight

We did statistical tests on the scleral ossicle rings of hundreds of species of birds and lizards that are active at night, dusk, and daytime.”How and when owls evolved their day/night preference is exceedingly difficult to ascertain, as the owl fossil record in deep time is fragmentary. And one of the biggest clues to whether an owl is active at day or night lies within the skull, the fossils of which can be elusive.Thus, having a well-preserved skull offers rare insight into at least one species during the Miocene. If this ancient owl was diurnal millions of years ago, it's likely that its subsequent close relatives were as well."From a parsimonious view of evolutionary history," Li clarified, "the explanation with the fewest evolutionary changes is the most likely."He and his colleagues named this new mid-sized species Miosurnia diurna, a name that nods to its existence within the Miocene period, its resemblance to today’s northern hawk owl (Surnia ulula), and its diurnal behavior.According to Li, the fossil was found some time ago by a farmer in Hezheng county and donated to the Shandong Tianyu Museum, where it remained among “thousands of feathered dinosaurs and a large number of much older birds fossils” until it caught the attention of Li and his team.