Question

The fossil remains of archaeopteryx is a connecting link between
A. Amphibians
B. Reptiles and birds
C. Fish and amphibians
D. Reptiles and mammals

Answer 1

Hint: Archaeopteryx is a mixture of ancient Greek words: archaīos, meaning 'old,' and ptéryx, meaning 'feather' or 'wing.' There are two species of Archaeopteryx: A. Lithographs and A. Siemens Ii.

Complete Answer:
- Archaeopteryx is seen by palaeontologists to be a transitional fossil between dinosaurs and modern birds. It has long been considered as the earliest known bird with its combination of avian and reptilian characteristics.
- Discovered in Germany in 1860, it is often referred to as Urvogel, or "first bird" as the German word for "original bird."
- Archaeopteryx had well-developed wings, and the form and arrangement of its wing feathers suggested that it could fly, close to that of most living birds.
- However, the skeletal flight-related mechanisms are incompletely established, suggesting that Archaeopteryx may not have been able to sustain flight over long distances. - Archaeopteryx, although it retains certain features, such as teeth and a long tail, is believed to have evolved from small carnivorous dinosaurs.
- Archaeopteryx's importance is so high that many people erroneously assume that this dino-bird was much larger than it was actually.
- Archaeopteryx actually weighed just about 20 inches from head to tail, and the biggest individuals, about the size of a well-fed, modern-day pigeon, did not weigh much more than two pounds. As such, this feathered reptile was much, much smaller than the Mesozoic Period pterosaurs, to which it had only a distant relation.

The correct answer is option(B) Reptiles and birds.

Note: In 1860 or 1861, when a solitary feather was uncovered from limestone deposits near Solnhofen, Germany, Archaeopteryx was first discovered. However, this feather may have come from a separate, undiscovered proto-bird.