News in Brief Paleontology

Flightless dino-bird wore full-body feathers

New Archaeopteryx fossil complicates plumage evolution

EARLY BIRD  The flightless dinosaur-like bird Archaeopteryx could glide, as seen in this artist’s illustration. A new fossil shows it had feathers all over its body, including on its legs.

Bavarian State Archaeological Collection

By Thomas Sumner

- More than 2 years ago

A fully feathered fossil of the dinosaur-like bird Archaeopteryx is ruffling scientists’ understanding of what drove early feather evolution, scientists report July 2 in Nature.