Friday, Jul. 19, 2002

Protarchaeopteryx

While Protarchaeopteryx's name actually means "before Archaeopteryx" — and it is certainly more primitive than the famous European bird ancestor — this turkey-sized dinosaur seems to have lived long after Archaeopteryx. It had much shorter forelimbs than those of modern flying birds, as well as symmetrical feathers. Current thinking is that since today's fliers all have asymmetrical feathers, Protarchaeopteryx probably couldn't fly.


THE GEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF CHINA