New Archaeopteryx fossil sheds light on bird evolution
By Li Menghan |
chinadaily.com.cn |
Updated: 2025-05-15 21:36
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Significantly, the Chicago specimen is the first known Archaeopteryx fossil to preserve tertials — the flight feathers closest to the body. These feathers, not previously seen in non-avian feathered dinosaurs, may represent a flight-related innovation and an important evolutionary step toward powered flight.
The study, published in the journal Nature in May, was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
