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A new species of the famous 'first bird', Archaeopteryx, supporting its status as the transitional fossil between birds and dinosaurs, has been published by in the journal Historical Biology.
Contrary to some previous studies, Archaeopteryx can now be conclusively shown to be a primitive bird antecedent, and an evolutionary intermediate between birds and dinosaurs, which possessed teeth and clawed fingers.
The new study also used state-of-the-art 3D X-ray analyses (Synchrotron microtomography) to virtually dissect the fossil and identify skeletal adaptions that would have helped Archaeopteryx albersdoerferi to fly.
The fossil was made available for study by scientists, who after over seven years of research recognised it as a new species -- Archaeopteryx albersdoerferi.
"Archaeopteryx albersdoerferi is one of the most important specimens of Archaeopteryx because it is around 400,000 years younger than any of the others found so far," noted lead author Martin Kundrát from the University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik, Slovakia.
"This is the first time that numerous bones and teeth of Archaeopteryx were viewed from all aspects including exposure of their inner structure. The use of synchrotron microtomography was the only way to study the specimen as it is heavily compressed with many fragmented bones partly or completely hidden in limestone", Kundrát continued.
"Geochemical analysis of the rock encasing the bones implies this specimen came, unlike others, from the younger Mörnsheim Formation", said Dr John Nudds from Manchester University, UK.
"Our analysis has shown that Archaeopteryx albersdoerferi shares more features in common with modern birds than their dinosaurian ancestors" said Professor Per Ahlberg of Uppsala University in Sweden.
These traits suggest that Archaeopteryx albersdoerferi may have possessed enhanced flying ability relative to geologically older species of Archaeopteryx.
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