Archaeopteryx lived about 150 million years ago during the Jurassic Period. Although the first Archaeopteryx fossil was discovered more than 160 years ago and the prehistoric bird has been well studied, an excellent specimen has yielded new information about the species, including why it could fly so well, according to a report in the journal Nature.
Painstaking preparation made the “Chicago Archaeopteryx” (named because it resides in the city’s Field Museum) the best-preserved example of the species. That amount of care meant that CT scans and imaging via UV light have yielded the most vivid Archaeopteryx pictures yet. Scientists visualized its smallest bones as well as soft tissue, including some feathers.
Illustration showing Archaeopteryx in life, including its tertial feathers that would have helped it fly. (Image Credit: Michael Rothman)
Michael Rothman
Seeing Archaeopteryx in such detail revealed a long set of feathers called tertials on the its upper arm. ...
