What reptilian characteristic did the earliest bird, *Archaeopteryx*, possess that modern birds lack?
Answer
A long, bony tail
The creature frequently cited as the earliest bird, *Archaeopteryx*, existed during the Late Jurassic period and represented a crucial transitional fossil. This specimen exhibited several features inherited from its non-avian dinosaur ancestors that have since been lost in contemporary avian species. Specifically, *Archaeopteryx* possessed a distinctively long, bony tail structure, which contrasts sharply with the short, fused pygostyle characteristic of modern birds. Furthermore, its mouth was equipped with numerous small, cone-shaped teeth, indicating a carnivorous diet, reinforcing its intermediate status between dinosaurs and later, toothless birds.
Related Questions
What reptilian characteristic did the earliest bird, *Archaeopteryx*, possess that modern birds lack?What type of prey did the Cretaceous marine bird *Hesperornis* specialize in catching in the shallow seas?What critical cranial function did most **enantiornithes** typically lack in contrast to later avian lineages?What surprising component of the diet of *Longipteryx chaoyangensis* was revealed by stomach content analysis?How robust was the tooth enamel thickness in *Longipteryx* compared to massive predators like *Allosaurus*?What characterizes the 'pseudoteeth' found on the massive Cenozoic **Pelagornithidae** birds?What flight specialization, utilized by modern albatrosses, did immense **Pelagornithidae** birds primarily rely upon?Why were Mesozoic toothed birds, like **enantiornithines** and *Hesperornis*, vulnerable during the impact winter?What adaptive advantage allowed the ancestors of modern beaked birds to survive the ecological collapse?What hypothesized dual function, beyond mashing food, might the robust teeth of *Longipteryx* have served?