Could Archaeopteryx fly or not? That's the most important question”
Is it a bird? Is it a dinosaur? Or something in between?
The feathered limbs of Archaeopteryx have fascinated palaeontologists ever since Charles Darwin's day.
Only 12 of these curious creatures have ever been found.
Now these precious fossils are going under the glare of a giant X-ray machine - to find out what lies buried beneath the surface.
Using a new "camera obscura" technique - inspired by Leonardo da Vinci - scientists have captured some of the clearest ever images of Archaeopteryx.
For the first time, they can see the complete skeleton in 3D. Not just the surface outlines, but all the hidden bones and feathers too.
They hope to discover how "the first true birds" evolved from feathered dinosaurs and took flight.
And what's more, to answer a riddle that has puzzled palaeontologists for 150 years. Could Archaeopteryx fly, or not?
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| The pinhole camera - illustrated by a laser. The real X-ray beam is invisible |
If their pinhole trick works as well on all dinosaur fossils as initial tests on Archaeopteryx suggest, it could open up new avenues in fossil research. The world's biggest, most famous dinosaur skeletons could be seen in a whole new light.
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