My article was about the debate whether Archaeopteryx (a raptor-like feathered dinosaur, considered the first bird) is more like a dinosaur than a bird. Birds technically evolved from dinosaurs, but there are many differences that set Archaeopteryx apart from the other birds. For example, normal birds mature very fast (it's not often that you see a baby bird), while recent studies show that Archaeopteryx doesn't, like other dinosaurs. Still, Archaeopteryx does have bird-like features, such as the feathers and wishbone. These, and the reptilian traits like teeth, 3-fingered hand, etc, make Archaeopteryx seem as the transition between dinosaurs and birds. I think that this perhaps is right, but the data isn't concrete yet. An important factor (at least, I think it is), is how Archaeopteryx could fly, and that was still a mystery. Then, studies at the Bavarian State Collection for Palaeontology and Geology showed that Archaeopteryx may have grown differently that other avian dinosaurs. This was a surpriseto me, as now I think that it's highly improbable that Archaeopteryx could fly at all with a build from its kind. More intense study finally revealed that Archaeopteryx grew mostly like the normal dinosaurs, but could still fly without that same build. I still am blown away with this information! Not only does it show it grew similarly to dinosaurs, but also tells us that although Archaeopteryx was very much like a bird, the true first bird only appeared millions of years after it. One thing that I thought was very interesting in this article was what a paleontologist said, "Our data on dinosaur growth rates and survivorship are bringing modern physiology and population biology to a field that has historically focused more on finding and naming fossil species." I agree with this statement, as lots of information, that people probably didn't dream of finding before, have been found now. I also think that we probably will know even more amazing things in the future, which others will just take for granted. After I read the article, I have to say that Archaeopteryx is probably a crossroads between dinosaurs and birds, and that I agree with the writers and paleontologists in this article highly.
Why Cheesecake is So Darn Expensive: Part 1
12 years ago
