Archaeopteryx
Archaeopteryx is an extinct bird, known only from the fossil record. Ten specimens, including several complete, articulated specimens, have been found.
Evidence for evolution?
Archaeopteryx is often presented as evidence of evolution because the bones have some characteristics reminiscent of reptiles including teeth and incomplete evolution of the wing structure[Citation Needed], making it appear to be a transitional form between reptiles and birds.
The criticism of the Archaeopteryx as a transitional form has been strengthened by the work of creationary anatomist Dr. David Menton suggesting that Archaeopteryx was a true bird with flight feathers, not a transitional form at all.
In 1993, an article was published in Science magazine arguing that the Archaeopteryx had fully-formed flying feathers (including asymmetric vanes and ventral, reinforcing furrows as in modern flying birds), the classical elliptical wings of modem woodland birds, and a large wishbone for attachment of muscles responsible for the downstroke of the wings[1]
While most evolutionary scientists agree that the flight feathers of Archaeopteryx were essentially modern, several papers since have argued against Feduccia's claims about the anatomy of Archaeopteryx[2] Specimens such as the Thermoplis Specimen [3] are thought to clearly show that the arms, wishbone, tail, feet, hips, and palate of Archaeopteryx were more like meat-eating theropod dinosaurs than modern birds.
The brain of Archaeopteryx was essentially that of a flying bird, with a large cerebellum and visual cortex.[4] Creationists argue that the fact that it had teeth is irrelevant to its alleged transitional status, as a number of extinct birds had teeth, while many reptiles do not.[4] Furthermore, like other birds, both its maxilla (upper jaw) and mandible (lower jaw) moved. In most vertebrates, including many reptiles, only the mandible moves.[4]
Fraud?
Sir Fred Hoyle claimed that the feather impressions on Archaeopteryx specimens were faked, and some creationists have repeated this claim, but it has been rejected by most other evolutionists and creationists.[5]
Bibliography
- Anon., Archaeopteryx: The Thermopolis Specimen The Wyoming Dinosaur Center
- Bakalar, Nicholas, Earliest Bird Had Feet Like Dinosaur, Fossil Shows, National Geographic News, 1 December 2005
- Feduccia, A., "Evidence from Claw Geometry Indicating Arboreal Habits of Archaeopteryx," Science, 259(5096):790-793, February 5, 1993 (abstract)
- Gish, Duane, As a Transitional Form Archaeopteryx Won't Fly Impact, 1 September 1989
- Sarfati, Jonathan, Archaeopteryx (unlike Archaeoraptor) is NOT a hoax—it is a true bird, not a “missing link”, Creation Ministries International, 24 March 2000
- Sarfati, Jonathan, Bird evolution?, Chapter 4 of Refuting Evolution.
- Wieland, Carl, Archaeopteryx, Creation 1(1):12–16, June 1978.
- Wieland, Carl, Bird evolution flies out the window, Creation 16(4):16–19, September 1994
