science

New fossil reveals that the earliest known bird had a companion which could outfly it


Archaeopteryx is widely believed to be the first bird to ever live, but it may not have been alone in the skies 150million years ago.  

A rival has been found to the famed flying dinosaur as archaeologists uncover the remains of a similar creature which may have even been a better aerial navigator.

It is thought to have been much larger than its more famous cousin but only a single, right-side wing of the bird was preserved.   

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The new species is thought to have been much larger than its more famous cousin but only a single, right-side wing of the bird was preserved (pictured)

The new species is thought to have been much larger than its more famous cousin but only a single, right-side wing of the bird was preserved (pictured)

The birds we see today are thought to be the descendants of carnivorous dinosaurs.

The oldest-known flying member of this lineage is Archaeopteryx, which bore feathered wings, sharp teeth and a long bony tail. 

Since its first fossil was found in 1861, Archaeopteryx has been the only bird-like dinosaur known from the Jurassic, the period between 199.6–145.5 million years ago. 

However, it now seems this early bird may not have been catching the worm alone.

Palaeontologist Oliver Rauhut of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and University of Fribourg geoscientist Christian Foth have reported the identification of a second bird-like dinosaur from the same period. 

The animal, which has been named Alcmonavis poeschli, was unearthed in Schaudiberg quarry, near Mörnsheim, in southern Germany’s Altmühl Valley.

Only a single, right-side wing of the bird was preserved in the fossil, which dates back to around 150 million years ago.

‘At first, we assumed this was another specimen of Archaeopteryx,’ said Professor Rauhut.

‘There are similarities, but after detailed comparisons with Archaeopteryx and other, geologically younger birds, its fossil remains suggested that we were dealing with a somewhat more derived bird,’ he added.

‘This suggests that the diversity of birds in the late Jurassic era was greater than previously thought.’

The birds we see today are thought to be the descendants of carnivorous dinosaurs. The oldest-known flying member of this lineage is Archaeopteryx, which bore feathered wings, sharp teeth and a long bony tail

The birds we see today are thought to be the descendants of carnivorous dinosaurs. The oldest-known flying member of this lineage is Archaeopteryx, which bore feathered wings, sharp teeth and a long bony tail

Archaeopteryx is widely believed to be the first bird to ever live, but it may not have been alone in the skies 150million years ago. An Archaeopteryx fossil was also unearthed from the same limestone unit as the new species, which suggests that the two creatures lived at the same time

Archaeopteryx is widely believed to be the first bird to ever live, but it may not have been alone in the skies 150million years ago. An Archaeopteryx fossil was also unearthed from the same limestone unit as the new species, which suggests that the two creatures lived at the same time 

An Archaeopteryx fossil was also unearthed from the same limestone unit as the new species, which suggests that the two creatures lived at the same time.

At this time, southern Germany was covered in a shallow, subtropical sea punctuated by of tree-speckled reef islands.  

It exhibits many traits that were lacking in Archaeopteryx but can be found in more recent birds — suggesting that it was better adapted to active, flapping-powered flight.

For example, Professor Rauhut said, ‘the wing muscles indicate a greater capacity for flying.’  

The discovery has implications for the debate over where birds and their ancestors first developed active flight as an adaptation of gliding

The discovery has implications for the debate over where birds and their ancestors first developed active flight as an adaptation of gliding

The discovery has implications for the debate over where birds and their ancestors first developed active flight as an adaptation of gliding.

‘Its adaptation shows that the evolution of flight must have progressed relatively quickly,’ said Dr Foth. 

‘The origin of birds and their flight has been heavily debated in the field of evolutionary biology since the late nineteenth century,’ said Professor Rauhut.

The newly-discovered fossil species has been named both for Alcmona, the old Celtic word for the river Altmühl and also for its discoverer, Roland Pöschl.

The full findings of the study were published in the journal eLife

Alcmonavis poeschli , was unearthed in Schaudiberg quarry, near Mörnsheim, in southern Germany's Altmühl Valley

Alcmonavis poeschli , was unearthed in Schaudiberg quarry, near Mörnsheim, in southern Germany’s Altmühl Valley

WHAT DID THE ARCHAEOPTERYX DINOSAUR LOOK LIKE?

A raven sized creature that lived in southern Germany 150 million years ago was the ‘missing link’ between dinosaurs and birds, according to a study by researchers at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich.

Archaeopteryx has been at the centre of a debate ever since it was first discovered more than 150 years ago.

Some scientists insist the creature was just another feathered dinosaur, but others say it was the first bird.

Artist's impression of Archaeopteryx. A new analysis of the oldest and most complete specimen ever found has shed fresh light on the enigmatic animal - and found it was somewhere in between a dinosaur and a bird 

Artist’s impression of Archaeopteryx. A new analysis of the oldest and most complete specimen ever found has shed fresh light on the enigmatic animal – and found it was somewhere in between a dinosaur and a bird 

Now an analysis of the oldest and most complete specimen ever found has shed fresh light on the enigmatic animal – and found it was somewhere in between. 

Experts believe some of Archaeopteryx’s characteristics include:

  • Some aerodynamic abilities based on its wings and feathers
  • Light coloured feathers, possibly even white, with black tips.
  • It was a carnivore and may have eaten small reptiles, amphibians, mammals and insects. 
  • It likely seized small prey with just its jaws, and may have used them to help pin larger prey. 
  • A full set of teeth (unlike living birds). 
  • flat sternum (breastbone) and belly ribs.
  • A long, bony tail
  • Three claws on the wing which could have been used to grasp prey. 

 



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