The study of a 125-million-year-old wing provided insight into the evolution of avian flight, and revealed ancient birds were capable of performing "aerodynamic feats" in a similar manner to what is seen in modern species.
Scientists have traced the evolutionary history of birds back to Archaeopteryx, which lived 150 million years ago in what is now southern Germany, the University of Bristol reported. Despite this knowledge, researchers have been unable to concretely determine whether or not these early birds were capable of flying.
To solve this mystery, the researchers looked at the wing of an ancient bird from what is now central Spain. The fossil consisted of the articulated bones of the forelimb as well as well-preserved samples of plumage and tissue. The study documented for the first time a complicated arrangement of fibers that match anatomically with the network of ligaments, muscles, and tendons present in the birds we see today. This network adjusts the position and control of the birds' wing feathers to ensure perfect flight. The findings suggest that some early bird species were capable of performing the same aerodynamic maneuvers as living birds.
"It's very surprising that despite being skeletally quite different from their modern counterparts, these primitive birds show striking similarities in their soft anatomy," said lead author of the study, Guillermo Navalón, a PhD student in Bristol's School of Earth Science.
The findings paint a picture of ancient birds flying over the heads of dinosaurs. In the future, the researchers hope to learn more about the precise flight modes of these early fliers.
"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 co-author of the study, Jesús Marugán Lobón from Universidad Autónoma in Madrid.
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal Scientific Reports.
