At a Glance
- The newly analyzed Chicago Archaeopteryx fossil has revealed well-preserved wing, skull, and limb features that enhance our understanding of how flight first evolved in feathered dinosaurs.
- This specimen displays a unique set of tertial wing feathers that bridged the gap between body and wing, similar to modern birds, supporting its capacity for powered flight.
- Despite birdlike wings, Archaeopteryx retained dinosaur traits like teeth and a long tail, showing how evolutionary transitions occurred in stages over millions of years.
- The fossil also reveals cranial kinesis in the skull and soft tissue in the feet, suggesting versatile behaviors like climbing and ground walking alongside flight.
- These findings confirm that flight evolved in complex ways among dinosaurs and highlight the continued significance of Archaeopteryx in tracing bird ancestry.
A new discovery of the iconic fossil Archaeopteryx is providing new insights into the origins of flight in dinosaurs. The “Chicago Archaeopteryx” specimen, one of the most well-preserved fossils of its kind, has offered a deeper look at the creature’s wings, skull, and limb structure. This fossil was carefully prepared using advanced techniques, revealing new features, including a unique set of wing feathers that support the idea that Archaeopteryx could use its wings for flight. These findings are reshaping our understanding of how flight evolved in early birds.
Archaeopteryx, which lived about 150 million years ago, is often called the “first bird” because of its feathered wings. However, it retained several dinosaur-like features, including teeth and a long tail. The new specimen, preserved with remarkable detail, allows scientists to study aspects of its anatomy that were previously unclear. A key feature that emerged from this study is the long set of wing feathers, called tertials, which are found on the upper arm. These feathers fill the gap between the bird’s body and wings, a feature modern birds use to optimize flight.
The Chicago Archaeopteryx also provided important information about its skull and limbs. The fossil’s mouth bones give scientists clues about cranial kinesis, a feature that allows the beak to move independently from the skull. This ability is essential for modern birds and may have helped early birds adapt to different environments. Additionally, the soft tissues in the Chicago Archaeopteryx’s feet suggest that it might have spent time walking on the ground and could have even climbed trees.
This new discovery, published in Nature, also highlights the ongoing importance of Archaeopteryx in understanding the evolution of flight. The presence of the unique tertial feathers in Archaeopteryx shows that it had a more advanced form of flight than its dinosaur relatives, further supporting the idea that flight developed multiple times in different lineages of dinosaurs. Researchers are excited to continue studying this well-preserved fossil, as it offers new insights into the complex transition from dinosaurs to modern birds.
References
- O’Connor, J., Clark, A., Kuo, P.-C., Kiat, Y., Fabbri, M., Shinya, A., Van Beek, C., Lu, J., Wang, M., & Hu, H. (2025). Chicago Archaeopteryx informs on the early evolution of the avian bauplan. Nature, 641(8065), 1201–1207. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08912-4
- Field Museum. (2025, May 14). UV light and CT scans help scientists unlock hidden details in a perfectly-preserved fossil Archaeopteryx. Phys.Org; Field Museum. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-uv-ct-scans-scientists-hidden.html
