Everything there is to know about Archaeopteryx
Jerzy Dyczkowski on the DINOSAUR mailing list shared this gem of synthesis. Acronyms expanded for better searchability.
I spend half an hour with Archie skeleton drawing and bird book.
Result:
- Archaeopteryx gathered most or all food on ground,
- Archaeopteryx walked around like a pigeon a lot, but did not run fast,
- Archaeopteryx in danger flew and hid in bushes or trees,
- Archaeopteryx flew slowly, for short distances, but manoevred well between branches,
- Archaeopteryx had small home range,
- Archaeopteryx inhabited semi-open micro-habitat with lots of shrub.
The closest live model of Archaeopteryx which I found are coucals
(Centropus) from Africa nad AsiArchaeopteryx The closest well known birds by locomotion are doves and pigeons (Streptopelia, Macropygia, Columba) on ground, but they fly much better and magpies (Pica) in flight which seem to be more adapted for trees.
Wing and tail structure. Archaeopteryx seems to have:
- short, very rounded wings
- long, rather broad, round tail
It fits:
- birds which fly little, are adapted to manoevring between branches: cuckoos, coucals, doves, touracos, magpies, sparrowhawks.
I does not fit:
- birfds flying a lot have longer wings, shorter tail:
crows, pigeons, waders etc.
Leg structure. Archaeopteryx seems to have:
- comparatively long “tibia”
- comparatively SHORT “tarsus”
- comparatively SHORT toes
- straight claws.
It fits:
- birds which walk a lot, but do not run: coucals, pigeons, doves, some crows.
It does NOT fit:
- runners have much longer “tarsus”: roadrunner, pheasants etc.
- tree climbers (a guild of birds which hop between branches, flying from tree to tree) have long toes and curved claws: touracos, parrots, kokako.
- fly and sit birds, which fly almost any distance have shorter “tibia” and “tarsus”: rollers, kingfishers.
Caveats:
- Coucals and related cuckoos inhabit semi-open habitat with shrub, but this can mean anything from rainforest with gaps and secondary growth, to semidesert with dense riverside shrubs.
- I assume that Archaeopteryx could be hunted by some pterosaurs.
Otherwise, it could fly longer distances, being invulnerable in the air.
- Wing claws of Archaeopteryx could help it climbing, but feet are not good for this.
- There are zillions of Archaeopteryx restorations. However, before proposing it was good flyer, ground runner, tree climber etc. please LOOK at the bird book, look at wings, tails, leg and toe structure of birds having the same lifestyle
I feel as if there’s an Archaeopteryx right in front of me!
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