Page 183 - The Origin of Birds and Flight

Harun Yahya (Adnan Oktar) 181

An extinct roosting bird :
Archæopteryx

Researchers compared the Solnhofen feathers and the asymme-
try of Archaeopteryx’s flight feathers with those of modern-day flying
and flightless birds.1 They discovered that the average asymmetry in
Archaeopteryx feathers was 1.25—lower than that in modern-day
flying birds, but higher than that in present-day flightless birds. The
isolated feather displayed an asymmetry of 2.2, roughly that of
modern-day fully flying birds. In addition, Archaeopteryx’s claws
were compared with more than 500 present-day species. The
research showed that Archaeopteryx’s hind feet fell into the zone of
arboreal birds, and the middle claws were at the level of the most
powerful arboreal birds.2 They therefore concluded that
Archaeopteryx was a fully-fledged arboreal bird.

1. J.R. Speakman, S.C. Thomson, “Flight Capabilities of Archæopteryx,” Nature, Vol. 370, 18
August 1994, p. 514.
2. Alan Feduccia, “Evidence from Claw Geometry Indicating Arboreal Habits of
Archæopteryx,” Science, Vol. 259, 5 February 1993, pp. 790-793.

In addition, such well known ornithologists as L. D. Martin, J. D.
Stewart and K. N. Whetstone compared the wrist bones of Archaeopteryx
and dinosaurs and revealed that there was no similarity between
them. 140
During an interview, the anatomist David Menton responded to the
question of whether Archaeopteryx’s feet indicated that it was a terrestri-
al, running dinosaur:
No. Archaeopteryx, along with all perching birds, has what is called a
grasping hallux, or hind toe, pointing backwards. Rearward-facing
toes may be found in some of the dinosaurs, but not a true grasping
hallux with curved claws for perching. 141

Archaeopteryx’s skeletal structure
Interpretations that suggest Archaeopteryx’s skeletal structure