The Next Chapter

The dinosaur I most admire is the Archaeopteryx. You know, that little one that looked like a cross between a bird and a dinosaur? It had feathers and clawed feet and was possibly the first link between dinosaurs and modern birds. Well here, take a look for yourself and see what you think:

Scientists say that Archaeopteryx was not a flier, per say, but a sort of long hopper or glider. Its bones were light like that of a bird, but its transitional evolutionary stage did not allow it the correct bone placement to arc its wings over its head for long flight.

Awkward-looking as it was, Archaeopteryx was an important step forward in what were to become full-flight birds that sore and fly over long distances.

It’s only recently been determined that this small dinosaur actually had the capacity to fly: one of the first examples of true avian flight.

While I may not wish to bring the Archaeopteryx back to life, I can certainly imagine its first clumsy attempts at flight and what it means to our understanding of the evolutionary process.