How did the first bird take flight? Scientists may have finally solved the mystery

A new study has challenged the belief of how the earliest known bird may have learned to fly, offering a fresh explanation for one of evolution’s most enduring puzzles. According to the research ‘Hop, hop and away: On the take-off of Archaeopteryx using a multiple leaping mechanism’, published in the journal Developmental Biology, this bird may not have launched into the air with a dramatic flap of its wings. Instead, it probably got airborne through a series of powerful jumps. Scientists have argue Archaeopteryx relied heavily on its legs to build enough speed for flight before its wings took over.

The findings challenge the long-held idea that the ancient bird could have taken off in a single wing-powered leap. Researchers examined the take-off mechanics of living birds, including crows, magpies, gulls and finches, and applied those biomechanical models to Archaeopteryx, which lived around 150 million years ago.

The findings of the study revealed that a mid-sized, 400 g Archaeopteryx could have achieved a sustainable flight speed of 7 metres per second (16 mph) with three bipedal leaps, or with two bipedal leaps with a downward flap between jumps.

The team concluded that the animal’s hindlimbs generated most of the force needed for take-off, while the wings became important only after it had already accelerated. The researchers said Archaeopteryx lacked a keeled sternum and had limited shoulder mobility, making the powerful wing strokes used by modern birds impossible.

The study proposes two likely launch sequences: leap, leap, leap followed by sustained flapping, or leap, flap, leap followed by more flapping. It also suggests that this multi-leap strategy may represent an intermediate stage in the evolution of bird flight.

The paper notes that many modern birds still use multiple hops during take-off in low-stress situations, indicating that the behaviour may have deep evolutionary roots.

By showing that repeated jumps could generate the minimum speed needed for flight, the researchers argue that Archaeopteryx may have bridged the gap between ground-running dinosaurs and the fully powered flight seen in modern birds.