Origin of avian flight

Around 350 BCE, Aristotle and other philosophers of the time attempted to explain the aerodynamics of avian flight. Even after the discovery of the ancestral bird Archaeopteryx which lived over 150 million years ago, debates still persist regarding the evolution of flight. There are three leading hypotheses pertaining to avian flight: Pouncing Proavis model, Cursorial model, and Arboreal model.

In March 2018, scientists reported that Archaeopteryx was likely capable of flight, but in a manner substantially different from that of modern birds.^[1]^[2]

^ Voeten, Dennis F.A.E.; et al. (13 March 2018). "Wing bone geometry reveals active flight in Archaeopteryx". Nature Communications. 9 (923): 923. Bibcode:2018NatCo...9..923V. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03296-8. PMC 5849612. PMID 29535376.
^ Guarino, Ben (13 March 2018). "This feathery dinosaur probably flew, but not like any bird you know". The Washington Post. Retrieved 13 March 2018.

[NAT-20180313-1] Voeten, Dennis F.A.E.; et al. (13 March 2018). "Wing bone geometry reveals active flight in Archaeopteryx". Nature Communications. 9 (923): 923. Bibcode:2018NatCo...9..923V. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03296-8. PMC 5849612. PMID 29535376.

[WP-20180313-2] Guarino, Ben (13 March 2018). "This feathery dinosaur probably flew, but not like any bird you know". The Washington Post. Retrieved 13 March 2018.

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