Scientists discover Archaeopteryx fossil that sheds light on the first flight
Long before feathers meant flight, one creature made the very first leap. And now, because of an astonishing fossil, scientists are getting their clearest look yet at how that first journey into the skies began.
In a remarkable
discovery
, a newly analyzed fossil of 'Archaeopteryx (genus of bird-like dinosaurs)', often dubbed the "
first bird
," is providing unprecedented insights into the evolution of flight.
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Discovered in southern Germany and now housed at Chicago's Field Museum, this 14th known specimen of Archaeopteryx is the most complete to date.
Unearthed before 1990 and acquired by the museum in 2022, the fossil remained largely encased in rock until recently. Over 1,300 meticulous hours of preparation revealed a nearly intact skeleton, complete with soft tissues and feathers, a rarity in the fossil record.
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"This is the best
Archaeopteryx fossil
ever found, of what's arguably the most important fossil taxon of all time," said Jingmai O'Connor, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Field Museum and lead author of the study published in
Nature
.
And even 164 years after the discovery of Archaeopteryx, no other feathered
dinosaur
discovery has been able to knock it off its perch as the first bird, O'Connor says.
Advanced imaging techniques, including ultraviolet light and CT scans, unveiled details that were never seen previously.
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Researchers identified specialized inner wing feathers called 'tertials', which connect the wings to the body, forming a continuous aerodynamic surface essential for flight. This feature, absent in non-flying feathered dinosaurs, suggests that Archaeopteryx was capable of powered flight.
The scientists also found scaled feet, which indicate that Archaeopteryx spent significant time on the ground, while the structure of its hands suggests it could climb trees. The combination of flight, walking, and climbing abilities paints a picture of a versatile creature adapting to various environments.
The fossil also provides the only complete vertebral column of Archaeopteryx discovered so far, including two tiny vertebrae at the tail's tip, bringing the total to 24, one more than previously known. This comprehensive preservation allows scientists to study the evolutionary transition from dinosaurs to modern birds in greater detail.
"This specimen is arguably the best
Archaeopteryx
ever found, and we're learning a ton of new things from it," O'Connor remarked. "I consider
Archaeopteryx
to be the most important fossil species of all time. It is, after all, the icon of evolution, and evolution is the unifying concept of the biological sciences."
The Field Museum's acquisition and study of this fossil underscore the enduring importance of
Archaeopteryx
in understanding the origins of flight and the evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds.
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