Nature & Environment
125-Million-Year-Old Bird Wing Helps Determine Evolutionary Theory of Flight
Rosanna Singh
First Posted: Oct 09, 2015 11:24 AM EDT
A 125-million-year-old bird wing that was well preserved enabled researchers to determine the evolution of flight in a recent study.
The right wing fossil, from Central Spain, revealed that some of the most ancient birds were able to perform aerodynamic feats in a manner similar to many modern birds, according to PhD student Guillermo Navalon from the University of Bristol, his team of Spanish palaeontologists and Dr. Luis M. Chiappe Director of the Natural History Museum, Los Angeles County.
The bones of the forelimb and soft tissues forming the wing were still intact. The fibers from the fossil matched the complex network of ligaments, muscles and tendons that are present in modern-day birds, the researchers revealed in a news release.
This network controls the fine adjustments of the wing's main feathers, which allows living birds to fly efficiently. These structures were found in the wing and indicated that ancient birds were capable of performing aerodynamic feats similar to modern birds today, according to the researchers.
"The anatomical match between the fibres preserved in the fossil and those that characterize the wings of living birds strongly indicates that some of the earliest birds were capable of aerodynamic prowess like many present-day birds," said Dr. Luis Chiappe.
"Fossils such as this are an open window to deep time and allow scientists access to the most intricate aspects of the early evolution of the flight of birds," said Dr. Jesús Marugán Lobón, co-author of the study.
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First Posted: Oct 09, 2015 11:24 AM EDT
A 125-million-year-old bird wing that was well preserved enabled researchers to determine the evolution of flight in a recent study.
The right wing fossil, from Central Spain, revealed that some of the most ancient birds were able to perform aerodynamic feats in a manner similar to many modern birds, according to PhD student Guillermo Navalon from the University of Bristol, his team of Spanish palaeontologists and Dr. Luis M. Chiappe Director of the Natural History Museum, Los Angeles County.
The bones of the forelimb and soft tissues forming the wing were still intact. The fibers from the fossil matched the complex network of ligaments, muscles and tendons that are present in modern-day birds, the researchers revealed in a news release.
This network controls the fine adjustments of the wing's main feathers, which allows living birds to fly efficiently. These structures were found in the wing and indicated that ancient birds were capable of performing aerodynamic feats similar to modern birds today, according to the researchers.
"The anatomical match between the fibres preserved in the fossil and those that characterize the wings of living birds strongly indicates that some of the earliest birds were capable of aerodynamic prowess like many present-day birds," said Dr. Luis Chiappe.
"Fossils such as this are an open window to deep time and allow scientists access to the most intricate aspects of the early evolution of the flight of birds," said Dr. Jesús Marugán Lobón, co-author of the study.
Related Articles
Ravens: Most Intelligent Species Can Detect Cheaters In Cooperation
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site,Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone