Question

If you discovered a fossil of a bird with scales on the body and teeth in the beak, what would you conclude about its position in the animal kingdom?

Answer 1

If we discovered a fossil of a bird with scales on the body and teeth in the beak, then its position in the animal kingdom is

1. It is a connecting link between reptiles and birds.
2. Fossil records also provide missing links between the two groups of organisms.
3. An excellent example of such a link is the fossil bird Archaeopteryx lithographica, that lived approximately 170 million years ago.
4. It shares the features of both, reptiles and birds.
5. Presence of teeth in jaws and a long tail are its reptilian features, whereas the presence of feathers on the body and forelimbs modified into wings are its avian characters.
6. This suggests that birds have evolved from reptilian ancestors.