September 30, 2011

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September 30, 1861: The First Feather

By David Bressan

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This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

September 2011 marks the 150 years anniversary of the description of an important paleontological discovery - Archaeopteryx lithographica, the first Mesozoic bird recognized by science and considered at the time a compelling proof of Darwin's theory, published just two years earlier.

In 1860 in a quarry near the village of Solnhofen (Bavaria) the faint imprint of a single feather was discovered on a slab of limestone.

Fig.1. The very first old feather...

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Studying this feather (and informed of the discovery of a complete specimen) the German palaeontologist Christian Erich Hermann von Meyer proposed to establish the species Archaeopterix [sic*] lithographica in a short communication dated to 30, September 1861 - even if today it is not entirely clear if the feather can be linked to the specimens of the classic Archaeopteryx discovered in the same geological formation.

Fig.2. In this lithography commissioned in 1863 by Victorian palaeontologist Richard Owen the first specimen of Archaeoperyx lithographica, discovered in 1861 and today treasured in London, in all its feathered splendour is depicted.

Bibliography:

MEYER v., H. (1861): Archaeopterix lithographica (Vogel-Feder) und Pterodactylus von Solenhofen. Neues Jahrbuch fur Mineralogie, Geognosie, Geologie und Petrefakten-Kunde. 6: 678-679

OWEN, R. (1863): On the Archaeopteryx of von Meyer, with a description of the fossil remains of a long-tailed species, from the lithographic stone of Solenhofen. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London 153: 33-47

*In the table of contents the name Archaeopteryx is actually misspelled

My name is David Bressan and I'm a freelance geologist working mainly in the Austroalpine crystalline rocks and the South Alpine Palaeozoic and Mesozoic cover-sediments in the Eastern Alps. I graduated with a project on Rock Glaciers dynamics and hydrology, this phase left a special interest for quaternary deposits and modern glacial environments. During my research on glaciers, studying old maps, photography and reports on the former extent of these features, I became interested in history, especially the development of geomorphologic and geological concepts by naturalists and geologists. Living in one of the key area for the history of geology, I combine field trips with the historic research done in these regions, accompanied by historic maps and depictions. I discuss broadly also general geological concepts, especially in glaciology, seismology, volcanology, palaeontology and the relationship of society and geology.

More by David Bressan

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