PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

“Chicago archaeopteryx” unveiled: New clues on dinosaur–bird transition revealed by Chinese–American research team

2025-05-15
(Press-News.org) Recently, a joint Chinese–American research team led by Dr. HU Han from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Dr Jingmai O’Connor from the Field Museum of Natural History (Chicago) announced the discovery and scientific description of the 14th known specimen of Archaeopteryx, known as the Chicago Archaeopteryx. Owing to its exceptional and exquisite preservation, the team was able to use advanced techniques like high-resolution CT scanning and 3D reconstruction to investigate the skeletal, soft tissue, and feather structures in unprecedented detail. Their findings provide crucial insights into the evolution of the skull and adaptations for flight during the critical transition from non-avian dinosaurs to birds. The study was published in Nature in May 2025.

Archaeopteryx is one of the most famous fossil animals in the world. Its discovery shortly after the publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species offered strong support for the theory of evolution. For more than 160 years, this enigmatic “first bird” has fascinated scientists and the public alike. However, due to the limitations of preservation and technology, many mysteries about this ancient animal have remained locked in the Solnhofen limestone where they were found. The newly described Chicago specimen, acquired by the Field Museum in 2022, is the smallest known Archaeopteryx, roughly the size of a pigeon. It is nearly complete, with many bones preserved in relatively three dimensions, and includes rare traces of soft tissues such as skin, toe pads, and feathers—making it a landmark specimen in the study of early bird evolution.

Thanks to the specimen’s exceptional preservation, the researchers successfully conducted high-resolution CT scanning and digital 3D reconstruction. The results reveal an almost completely preserved skull, including a remarkably intact palatal region. The palatal morphology of the Chicago specimen is intermediate between that of troodontids and more derived Cretaceous birds, representing a critical evolutionary stage in the transition from the rigid, immobile skulls of non-avian theropods to the lighter, more kinetic skulls of birds. In addition to providing new clues about Archaeopteryx, this reconstruction lays the groundwork for future biomechanical and functional analyses of fossil bird skulls. Beyond skeletal features, the study also documented preserved soft tissues. In particular, the shape of the toe pads resembles that of modern ground foraging birds, suggesting that Archaeopteryx was adapted for non-raptorial terrestrial locomotion. These findings support the idea that Archaeopteryx may have led a mixed lifestyle, spending time on the ground and possibly in trees, indicating a broader ecological flexibility than previously recognized.

Significantly, the Chicago Archaeopteryx is also the first Archaeopteryx known to preserve tertials, which attach to the humerus and ulna and occupy the space between the wing and the body. These feathers are thought to contribute to a continuous aerodynamic surface during flight. Since such structures have never been observed in any non-avian feathered dinosaur, their presence in Archaeopteryx suggests they may represent a flight-related innovation, highlighting the evolutionary step toward powered flight.

The Chicago Archaeopteryx also marks a step forward in the application of advanced technological methods in paleontology, especially in 3D scanning and reconstruction, soft tissue identification, and ecological inference for extinct bird lineages.

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

‘Rogue’ immune cells explain why a gluten-free diet fails in some coeliac patients

2025-05-15
‘Rogue’ immune cells explain why a gluten-free diet fails in some coeliac patients Scientists have identified mutated immune cell clones that could point to improved treatment for refractory coeliac disease. Researchers at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and UNSW Sydney have discovered why some people with coeliac disease continue to suffer debilitating symptoms despite strictly avoiding gluten. The study, published in Science Translational Medicine, used cutting-edge single-cell sequencing techniques to reveal that certain immune cells in the gut of these patients carry genetic mutations. The team’s findings suggest these abnormal immune ...

World's first patient treated with personalized CRISPR gene editing therapy at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

2025-05-15
Philadelphia and New Orleans, May 15, 2025 – In a historic medical breakthrough, a child diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder has been successfully treated with a customized CRISPR gene editing therapy by a team at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Penn Medicine. The infant, KJ, was born with a rare metabolic disease known as severe carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency. After spending the first several months of his life in the hospital, on a very restrictive diet, KJ received the first dose of his ...

Infant with rare, incurable disease is first to successfully receive personalized gene therapy treatment

2025-05-15
Infant with rare, incurable disease is first to successfully receive personalized gene therapy treatment NIH-supported gene-editing platform lays groundwork to rapidly develop treatments for other rare genetic diseases A research team supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has developed and safely delivered a personalized gene editing therapy to treat an infant with a life-threatening, incurable genetic disease. The infant, who was diagnosed with the rare condition carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) deficiency shortly after birth, has responded positively to the treatment. The process, from diagnosis ...

Digital reconstruction reveals 80 steps of prehistoric life

2025-05-15
A dinosaur’s 40-second journey more than 120 million years ago has been brought back to life by a University of Queensland-led research team using advanced digital modelling techniques. Dr Anthony Romilio from UQ’s Dinosaur Lab analysed and reconstructed the Phoenix Trackway, the longest documented set of footprints made by a predator walking on two legs in East Asia. “For the first time this dinosaur’s movements have been reconstructed step by step, revealing how it walked, ...

GSA and GSA Foundation announce record support for the geosciences

2025-05-15
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 14 May 2025 The Geological Society of America Release No. 25-07 Contact: Katie Busser +1-303-357-1044 kbusser@geosociety.org GSA and GSA Foundation Announce Record Support for the Geosciences Joint Action Addresses Funding Shortfalls by Federal Scientific Agencies Boulder, Colo., USA: In an extraordinary demonstration of unity and resolve, The Geological Society of America (GSA) Council and the GSA Foundation (GSAF) Board of Trustees announce the approval today of the record level of support they will provide for the geoscience community. The unprecedented support comes amid a rapidly evolving landscape in science funding, with ...

UT MD Anderson and Texas Children’s Hospital announce $150 million gift from Kinder Foundation to launch Kinder Children’s Cancer Center

2025-05-15
HOUSTON, MAY 14, 2025 ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Texas Children’s Hospital today announced a $150 million gift from Kinder Foundation. The transformational gift creates Kinder Children’s Cancer Center, a joint venture of UT MD Anderson Cancer Center and Texas Children’s Hospital, with a single mission: to end childhood cancer. The gift is one of the largest philanthropic donations made to an American pediatric hospital and one ...

NIH to award $8 million for new USC Superfund center to research and address ‘forever chemicals’

2025-05-15
  A team of scientists from Keck School of Medicine of USC and USC Viterbi School of Engineering has been awarded an $8 million, five-year grant from one of the National Institutes of Health to launch a Superfund Research Program Center where they will study environmental contamination from “forever chemicals,” or PFAS, which are used to make multiple household items from cookware to furniture. With the grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the USC scientists are establishing the Southern California ...

TMEM219 signaling promotes intestinal cell stem cell death and exacerbates colitis

2025-05-15
An international study led by Paolo Fiorina from Boston Children’s Hospital and in collaboration with researchers from University of Milan highlights the beneficial effect of inhibiting the death receptor TMEM219 to restore mucosal healing in inflammatory bowel diseases. Findings were published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Fiorina and colleagues demonstrated that the pharmacological blockade of TMEM219 signal through a recombinant protein based on the extracellular portion of the TMEM219 receptor is able to preserve self-renewal ability of intestinal stem cells in inflammatory bowel disease, protect intestinal stem cells from cell death induced ...

MS heroes unite in Phoenix for CMSC 2025!

2025-05-15
Join the world’s leading MS experts, clinicians, researchers, and patient advocates as they assemble for the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) Annual Meeting, May 28-31 in Phoenix. AZ—North America’s ultimate destination for those dedicated to transforming MS care. This year’s theme, “MS Heroes Unite,” honors the remarkable individuals driving progress across all fronts of MS—from cutting-edge science to compassionate, comprehensive care. Featured Hero Lectures include: June Halper Memorial Lecture; The Evolution ...

Stretched in a cross pattern: Our neighboring galaxy is pulled in two axes

2025-05-15
Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have discovered that Cepheid variable stars in our neighboring galaxy, the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), are moving in opposing directions along two distinct axes. They found that stars closer to Earth move towards the northeast, while more distant stars move southwest. This newly discovered movement pattern exists alongside a northwest-southeast opposing movement that the scientists previously observed in massive stars. These complex bidirectional movements along two different axes indicate that the SMC is being ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

From blood sugar to brain relief: GLP-1 therapy slashes migraine frequency

Variability in heart rate during sleep may reveal early signs of stroke, depression or cognitive dysfunction, new study shows

New method to study catalysts could lead to better batteries

Current Molecular Pharmacology impact factor rises to 2.9, achieving Q2 ranking in the Pharmacology & Pharmacy category in 2024 JCR

More time with loved ones for cancer patients spared radiation treatment

New methods speed diagnosis of rare genetic disease

Genetics of cardiomyopathy risk in cancer survivors differ by age of onset

Autism inpatient collection releases genetic, phenotypic data for more than 1,500 children with autism

Targeting fusion protein’s role in childhood leukemia produces striking results

Clear understanding of social connections propels strivers up the social ladder

New research reveals why acute and chronic pain are so different – and what might make pain last

Stable cooling fostered life, rapid warming brought death: scientists use high-resolution fusuline data reveal evolutionary responses to cooling and warming

New research casts doubt on ancient drying of northern Africa’s climate

Study identifies umbilical cord blood biomarkers of early onset sepsis in preterm newborns

AI development: seeking consistency in logical structures

Want better sleep for your tween? Start with their screens

Cancer burden in neighborhoods with greater racial diversity and environmental burden

Alzheimer disease in breast cancer survivors

New method revolutionizes beta-blocker production process

Mechanism behind life-threatening cancer drug side-effect revealed

Weighted vests might help older adults meet weight loss goals, but solution for corresponding bone loss still elusive

Scientists find new way to predict how bowel cancer drugs will stop working – paving the way for smarter treatments

Breast cancer patients’ microbiome may hold key to avoiding damaging heart side-effects of cancer therapies

Exercise-induced protein revives aging muscles and bones

American College of Cardiology issues guidance on weight management drugs

Understanding the effect of bedding on thermal insulation during sleep

Cosmic signal from the very early universe will help astronomers detect the first stars

With AI, researchers find increasing immune evasion in H5N1

Study finds hidden effects of wildfires on water systems

Airborne fungal spores may help predict COVID-19 & flu surges

[Press-News.org] “Chicago archaeopteryx” unveiled: New clues on dinosaur–bird transition revealed by Chinese–American research team