EVIDENCE FROM CLAW GEOMETRY INDICATING ARBOREAL HABITS OF ARCHAEOPTERYX

被引：133

作者：

FEDUCCIA, A

机构：

[1] Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

来源：

SCIENCE | 1993年 / 259卷 / 5096期

关键词：

D O I：

10.1126/science.259.5096.790

中图分类号：

O [数理科学和化学]; P [天文学、地球科学]; Q [生物科学]; N [自然科学总论];

学科分类号：

07 ; 0710 ; 09 ;

摘要：

The Late Jurassic Archaeopteryx has been thought to have been a feathered predator adapted to running that represented a terrestrial stage in the evolution of true birds from coelurosaurian dinosaurs. Examination of claw geometry, however, shows that (i) modern ground- and tree-dwelling birds can be distinguished on the basis of claw curvature, in that greater claw arcs characterize tree-dwellers and trunk-climbers, and (ii) the claws of the pes (hind foot) and manus (front hand) of Archaeopteryx exhibit degrees of curvature typical of perching and trunk-climbing birds, respectively. On this basis, Archaeopteryx appears to have been a perching bird, not a cursorial predator.

引用

页码：790 / 793

页数：4

共 30 条

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