Now Reading: Archaeopteryx took flight with hops, not leaps, study finds
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Archaeopteryx took flight with hops, not leaps, study finds
The earliest known bird, Archaeopteryx, did not launch into the air like modern birds but relied on a series of rapid two-legged jumps, according to a landmark study published in August 2026…
The Story in Brief
The earliest known bird, Archaeopteryx, did not launch into the air like modern birds but relied on a series of rapid two-legged jumps, according to a landmark study published in August 2026 by researchers from the University of Southampton and the National Natural History Museum in Paris. The creature lived around 150 million years ago and lacked a keeled sternum and the shoulder joint mobility needed for explosive take-offs.
Using 3D computer models, scientists tested billions of movement combinations for a 400-gram Archaeopteryx and found that only a multi-jump strategy worked. The legs provided up to 90% of the take-off force. The study supports the 'ground-up' model of flight evolution, suggesting early flight began with coordinated hops rather than running or gliding.
The Indian Opinion
The lazy narrative that flight evolved magically or in one big leap is finally debunked by this study. For years, the 'ground-up' versus 'trees-down' debate polarised palaeontology without acknowledging that early flight might have been inelegant and inefficient. The real test will be whether future fossil finds of other transitional species show similar hip and leg adaptations for hopping. If they do, the 'hop, hop, and away' model becomes the new baseline. If not, the debate will simply shift to different terrain.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
