[Rockhounds] Dinosaur feather study debunked: Overwhelming evidence supports Jurassic fossil does belong to Archaeopteryx

[Kreigh Tomaszewski]

A new study provides substantial evidence that the first fossil feather
ever to be discovered does belong to the iconic Archaeopteryx, a bird-like
dinosaur named in Germany on this day in 1861. This debunks a recent theory
that the fossil feather originated from a different species.

The research published in *Scientific Reports* finds that the Jurassic
fossil matches a type of wing feather called a primary covert. Primary
coverts overlay the primary feathers and help propel birds through the air.
The international team of scientists led by the University of South Florida
analyzed nine attributes of the feather, particularly the long quill, along
with data from modern birds. They also examined the 13 known skeletal
fossils of Archaeopteryx, three of which contain well-preserved primary
coverts. The researchers discovered that the top surface of an
Archaeopteryx wing has primary coverts that are identical to the isolated
feather in size and shape. The isolated feather was also from the same
fossil site as four skeletons of Archaeopteryx, confirming their findings.

"There's been debate for the past 159 years as to whether or not this
feather belongs to the same species as the Archaeopteryx skeletons, as well
as where on the body it came from and its original color," said lead author
Ryan Carney, assistant professor of integrative biology at USF. "Through
scientific detective work that combined new techniques with old fossils and
literature, we were able to finally solve these centuries-old mysteries."

https://phys.org/news/2020-09-dinosaur-feather-debunked-overwhelming-evidence.html