“对于我来说，始祖鸟化石堪称经典案例，”达尔文曾对密友透露说。
和带有腿部的古鲸类化石一样，始祖鸟化石似乎捕捉到了关键进化形变中的某个瞬间。
Like fossils of whales with legs, Archaeopteryx seemed to capture a moment in a critical evolutionary metamorphosis.
而这次始祖鸟化石的发现，比先前发现的鸟化石时代更早，层位更低，特征更加原始。
However, this find of archaeopteryx fossils are from a much earlier age, lower in stratus and more primitive in features than previously discovered archaeopteryx.
比如，伦敦自然历史博物馆第一个标本物种、著名的始祖鸟化石就是爬行动物和鸟类之间的过渡物种化石。
The famous Archaeopteryx – the first specimen of which resides in the Natural History Museum in London – for example, is one such transitional fossil between the reptiles and birds.
这种反对是合理的，因为只有早期的兽脚亚目食肉恐龙的锁骨才被发现，但是现在已经发掘出了类似始祖鸟的叉骨的兽脚亚目食肉恐龙锁骨化石。
This objection was reasonable when only early theropod clavicles had been discovered, but fossilized theropod clavicles that look just like the wishbone of Archaeopteryx have now been unearthed.
例如，四趾的始祖鸟先于三趾的始祖鸟出现，但北美的化石证据表明，这两种动物之间有一个急促而不均衡的转换过程。
The four-toed Eohippus preceded the three-toed Miohippus, for example, but North American fossil evidence suggests a jerky, uneven transition between the two.
摇晃着的栖息处：“始祖鸟”是最知名的已出土化石之一。
Wobbling perch: Archaeopteryx is one of the most famous fossils ever unearthed.
事实是，下一次的化石发现能把‘始祖鸟’踢回鸟类的行列里，那可真是在关于这全部的事情里最令人兴奋的呢！
The reality is, that next fossil find could kick Archaeopteryx right back into birds. That's the thing that's really exciting about all of this.
来自英国布里斯托尔大学的麦克·本唐教授，认同这块新化石是在已被发现的化石中，和“始祖鸟”具有最靠近的亲缘关系。
Prof Mike Benton from the University of Bristol, UK, agrees that the new fossil is about the closest relative to Archaeopteryx that has yet been found.
斯切米茨和藻谷测量了33具恐龙、始祖鸟和翼龙化石的巩膜环内围和外围及眼眶大小。
Schmitz and Motani measured the inner and outer dimensions of this ring, plus the size of the eye socket, in 33 fossils of dinosaurs, ancestral birds and pterosaurs.
与另一种较少飞行的鹮类化石进行对比后——Apteribisglenos——Olson和同事A .Wetmore在1976年对此进行了描述，始祖鸟是科学史上发现的首例较少飞行的鹮类样本。
Along with another fossil flightless ibis - Apteribis glenos - described by Olson and colleague A. Wetmore in 1976, Xenicibis was one of the first flightless ibis to be recognized by science.
这就肯定了从另外两个过渡的生物化石archaeopteryx(始祖鸟，最古老的鸟类)和Rodhocetus(一种原始鲸)。
This confirms what has been observed in two other transitional fossils, Archaeopteryx (the oldest known bird) and Rodhocetus (a proto-whale).
新发现的动物化石可追溯至1.51亿至1.64亿年前，这表明它们比以往所公认的世界上最早的鸟类——始祖鸟(archaeopteryx)——还要古远。
The finds date back to between 151m and 164m years ago, which suggest they are older than archaeopteryx, previously thought to be the oldest undisputed bird.
为了证明这种观点，他指出，已知的最早的鸟类始祖鸟的一些化石也没有羽毛。
To support his hypothesis he pointed out that several fossils of the oldest known bird , archaeopteryx, lack feathers.
为了证明这种观点，他指出，已知的最早的鸟类始祖鸟的一些化石也没有羽毛。
To support his hypothesis he pointed out that several fossils of the oldest known bird , archaeopteryx, lack feathers.
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