In this roundup, associate editor Katie Burke summarizes notable recent developments in scientific research, selected from reports compiled in the free electronic newsletter Sigma Xi SmartBrief. An exquisite fossil of the ancient bird Ar-chaeopteryx lends weight to the theory that feathers evolved independent of flight. The fossil is the 11th of its kind ever found, and it preserves the animal's feathers in unique detail. New analysis of the specimen reveals that Archaeop-teryx, long recognized as a transitional species between dinosaurs and birds, had feathers on its body and legs as well as its wings. The feathers on the creature's lower half clearly were not necessary for flight; they may have been used instead for display, note the authors.
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机译：在本综述中，副编辑凯蒂·伯克（Katie Burke）总结了科学研究的最新进展，这些进展是从免费的电子通讯Sigma Xi SmartBrief中汇编的报告中选出的。古代鸟类Ar-chaeopteryx的精美化石为羽毛独立于飞行而进化的理论提供了支持。该化石是有史以来发现的第11种动物，并且以独特的细节保留了动物的羽毛。对标本的新分析表明，始祖鸟一直被认为是恐龙和鸟类之间的过渡物种，其身体，腿部和翅膀上都有羽毛。该生物下半部分的羽毛显然不需要飞行。作者注意，它们可能已被代替用于显示。
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