Feathers of earliest birds 'would not have supported flight' | Environment | The Guardian

via guardian.co.uk

The first birds to make a mark in the evolutionary record might have sported an impressive plumage, but they would never have got off the ground, scientists say.

An examination of fossilised feathers belonging to the ancient birds Confuciusornis and Archaeopteryx shows their wings were too weak to support the birds in flight.

At the very best, the creatures might have used their wings to glide between trees or from vantage points to lower ground, researchers report today in the journal Science.

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