US EditionThe Famous, Feathered Dinosaur Archaeopteryx Could Fly, Suggests New Study of a 'Beautifully Preserved' Fossil
- Researchers at Chicago's Field Museum revealed on May 14, 2025, that a rare Archaeopteryx fossil confirms this Jurassic bird could fly.
- The fossil, found in 1980s Solnhofen limestone and acquired by the museum in 2022 from private collections, offers new data on early bird flight.
- X-Ray and UV scans showed unprecedented preservation of feathers, soft tissues, and skeletal details like long upper arm bones and specialized tertial feathers.
- Dr. Jingmai O'Connor said, "Our specimen is so well-preserved," highlighting the 1,300 hours spent preparing the nearly 100 percent complete fossil.
- The findings reinforce Archaeopteryx as a key transitional species linking ground-dwelling dinosaurs to modern birds, suggesting flight evolved with multiple anatomical innovations.
12 Articles
12 Articles
The Famous, Feathered Dinosaur Archaeopteryx Could Fly, Suggests New Study of a 'Beautifully Preserved' Fossil
The Chicago Archaeopteryx features more soft tissue and delicate skeletal details than any known fossil of its kind, and paleontologists discovered it has a set of feathers key to flight in modern birds
This dinosaur had feathers and probably flew like a chicken - Hawaii Tribune-Herald
In 1861, scientists discovered Archaeopteryx, a dinosaur with feathers, in 150-million-year-old limestones in Solnhofen, Germany. They didn’t know it at the time, but that fossilized skeleton — and the several that followed — provided a key piece of evidence for the theory of evolution, as well as for the fact that birds were actually dinosaurs.
This Dinosaur Had Feathers and Probably Flew Like a Chicken
In 1861, scientists discovered Archaeopteryx, a dinosaur with feathers, in 150-million-year-old limestones in Solnhofen, Germany. They didn’t know it at the time, but that fossilized skeleton — and the several that followed — provided a key piece of evidence for…
Study: L-Archaeopteryx had feathers essential to the flight
The archaeopterix had feathers essential to flying on the upper part of its wings, according to a study published on Wednesday, which reinforces the hypothesis that this dinosaur was able to evolve in the air.
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