London - Wings evolved not to help the ancestors of birds fly but to give them extra speed on the ground, scientists said yesterday. Flightless feathered dinosaurs flapped their "wings" to give them a boost while running, according to a new theory. From this starting point, wings eventually evolved to give birds the power of flight. The evidence comes from new research into the earliest known flying bird, archaeopteryx.
Since the late 1800s, scientists have debated whether archaeopteryx flew by jumping from trees or executed running take-offs like an aircraft.
The research, reported yesterday in the journal Nature, was carried out by Mr Philip Burgers, of the San Diego Natural History Museum, and Mr Luis Chiappe, of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.