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Wing bone geometry reveals active flight in Archaeopteryx.


ABSTRACT: Archaeopteryx is an iconic fossil taxon with feathered wings from the Late Jurassic of Germany that occupies a crucial position for understanding the early evolution of avian flight. After over 150 years of study, its mosaic anatomy unifying characters of both non-flying dinosaurs and flying birds has remained challenging to interpret in a locomotory context. Here, we compare new data from three Archaeopteryx specimens obtained through phase-contrast synchrotron microtomography to a representative sample of archosaurs employing a diverse array of locomotory strategies. Our analyses reveal that the architecture of Archaeopteryx's wing bones consistently exhibits a combination of cross-sectional geometric properties uniquely shared with volant birds, particularly those occasionally utilising short-distance flapping. We therefore interpret that Archaeopteryx actively employed wing flapping to take to the air through a more anterodorsally posteroventrally oriented flight stroke than used by modern birds. This unexpected outcome implies that avian powered flight must have originated before the latest Jurassic.

SUBMITTER: Voeten DFAE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5849612 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Wing bone geometry reveals active flight in Archaeopteryx.

Voeten Dennis F A E DFAE   Cubo Jorge J   de Margerie Emmanuel E   Röper Martin M   Beyrand Vincent V   Bureš Stanislav S   Tafforeau Paul P   Sanchez Sophie S  

Nature communications 20180313 1


Archaeopteryx is an iconic fossil taxon with feathered wings from the Late Jurassic of Germany that occupies a crucial position for understanding the early evolution of avian flight. After over 150 years of study, its mosaic anatomy unifying characters of both non-flying dinosaurs and flying birds has remained challenging to interpret in a locomotory context. Here, we compare new data from three Archaeopteryx specimens obtained through phase-contrast synchrotron microtomography to a representati  ...[more]

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