Uncovering the secrets of feathers solves the mystery of flying dinosaurs
A study published in the journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” explored the evolution of flight in birds and their ancestors, the dinosaurs.
Scientists from the Field Museum in Chicago examined hundreds of bird samples to determine common feather characteristics among birds. These characteristics provide insight into the evolutionary history of flight and which dinosaurs were capable of flying. The study reveals that all birds share specific feather traits, such as asymmetrical primary feathers and a consistent number of primary feathers (between nine and eleven). This discovery has implications for understanding the origins of flight in dinosaurs, suggesting that flight may have evolved once and persisted over long periods of geological time.
By analyzing samples of modern birds and fossilized feathered dinosaurs, researchers were able to infer information about the evolution of flight. They found that some feathered dinosaurs, like Archaeopteryx, likely lost the ability to fly over time, while others, like Microraptor, had wings adapted for flight.
The study emphasizes the importance of integrating fossil data with information from living birds to gain a better understanding of evolutionary processes. It also highlights the significance of flight and feathers in the success of bipedal dinosaurs, including birds, on land.
