Comment on "Narrow primary feather rachises in Confuciusornis and Archaeopteryx suggest poor flight ability"

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 330; no. 6002; pp. 320; author reply 320 - 320
• Main Author: Paul, Gregory S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The American Association for the Advancement of Science 15.10.2010
• Subjects: Anatomy & physiology; Animals; Biomechanical Phenomena; Birds; Birds - anatomy & histology; Birds - physiology; Body Weight; Feathers - anatomy & histology; Flight, Animal; Fossils; Paleobiology; Prehistoric era; Wings, Animal - anatomy & histology; Wings, Animal - physiology

Nudds and Dyke (Reports, 14 May 2010, p. 887) reported that the primary features of the early birds Archaeopteryx and Confuciusornis were too weak to power flight. This conclusion is not supported because the authors overestimated the mass of the subjects and understated the strength of the primary...