Re: birds scales

[Adam Yates <zooamy@zoo.latrobe.edu.au>]

On Sat, 9 Dec 1995, Ronald Orenstein wrote:

> 
> Well, I don't see why not - the earliest fossil feather known, a single
> imprint (from Australia?) appears to be one.  I do not think that the
> asymmetrical nature of the feather came forst, but the general shape and
> structure may well have.
> 
> 
> 
The oldest feathers definately do not come from Australia. We have Early 
Cretaceous contour feathers (the organism that bore them remains unknown) 
from a site near Koonwarra, Victoria but these are younger than 
Archaeopteryx. As 
far as I am aware the oldest known feathers are those of Archy itself.


Adam Yates