Page 139 - The Dinosaur Book and Other Wonders of the Prehistoric World (DK-Smithsonian)
P. 139
Microraptor had big eyes,
which suggests it was active at
Archaeopteryx
night or lived in dense forest. First up
Microraptor
The second toe had a
hooked claw that was
held off the ground to
keep it sharp.
Archaeopteryx
was the
first known
birdlike The wing feathers were
about 8 in (20 cm) long
dinosaur. and may have helped it
to glide from tree to tree.
Fossils show that the
One fossil of Jeholornis shows legs had long feathers
a fan of ornamental feathers that were similar to
projecting from the base of the tail. the wing feathers.
This well-preserved fossil
clearly shows the birdlike feathers
on its arms, legs, and tail.
Microraptor fossil
Anchiornis Microraptor
very high, and unlike modern birds, the feet of Jeholornis and many others were far
they did not have big breastbones to better suited to life on the ground. So we still do
anchor powerful flight muscles. Some not know exactly how these animals took to the
like Microraptor almost certainly could not air. We just know that they had long, broad
fly in the true sense. It is possible that they were wings, which would have been of little use if
mainly adapted for gliding from tree to tree, but they could not fly in some way. 137
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