Earliest Known Bird Fossil Had Dinosaur Feet

This video from the USA says about itself:

Public Lecture—Archaeopteryx: Bringing the Dino-Bird to Life

Lecture Date: Tuesday, January 25, 2011. Some 150 million years ago, a strange creature died in a tropical lagoon that today is located in Bavaria, Germany. In 1861, a single feather of this creature was discovered. Not long afterward, a complete fossil was found with the same bird-like feathers but dinosaur-like anatomical features. Darwin had just published “On the Origin of Species,” could this be the missing link that Darwin’s supporters hoped to find?

Recently, 2 of the now 11 discovered Archaeopteryx fossils, and that first feather, were brought to SLAC, where, using the intense X-ray beam, researchers searched for the chemical remains of the original living creatures. Please join us as Dr. Bergmann explains how recent studies attempt to bring the original dino-bird “back to life.” Lecturer: Uwe Bergmann, SLAC.

From RedOrbit:

Earliest Known Bird Fossil Had Dinosaur Feet

WASHINGTON — A new analysis of Archaeopteryx, the earliest known birdlike animal, shows it had feet like dinosaurs – a finding that adds weight to the belief that the birds frequenting backyard feeders today are descendants of mighty ancient carnivores.

While not all scientists agree, many consider Archaeopteryx the first bird, since it had wings and was the first fossil found with feathers.

Details have been lacking on the animals, however, since only a few fossil specimens have been found.

The new one, reported in Friday’s issue of the journal Science, is the 10th known and one of the most complete.

Contrary to what had been thought, the new fossil shows that the first toe was not reversed in Archaeopteryx, as is the case on current birds, according to a team led by Gerald Mayr of Research Institute Schenkenberg in Frankfurt, Germany.

Lack of the reversed toe would hamper the animal’s ability to perch like current birds, the researchers said.

On the other hand, it’s second toe could be extended, like those of theropod – beast-footed – dinosaurs, a group that included such well known examples as T. rex.

Archaeopteryx was considerably smaller, however, close to the size of a magpie. The new example lived about 150 million years ago in what is now Bavaria.

There is also an Archaeopteryx fossil in Teyler’s museum in The Netherlands.

2006 fossil claw found in Brazil, and discussion on birds-dinosaurs relationship: here.

Cretaceous fossil bird Gansus from China: here.

Asiahesperornis, fossil bird from Kazakhstan: here.