How birds got their wings

Modern birds capable of flight all have a specialized wing structure called the propatagium without which they could not fly. The evolutionary origin of this structure has remained a mystery, but new research suggests it evolved in nonavian dinosaurs. The finding comes from statistical analyses of arm joints preserved in fossils and helps fill some gaps in knowledge about the origin of bird flight.

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A branch of the tree of life that includes the time when the propatagium, vital to flight in future birds, came about. Credit: 2023 Yurika Uno and Tatsuya Hirasawa CC-BY

I guess millions of years of jumping up to reach fruits or nuts on trees higher up and / or jumping up onto onto bigger animals might evolve feathers..

or feathers developed another way.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feather#Evolution

cool.

Michael V said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feather#Evolution

http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/feather_evolution.htm

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dinosaur-feathers-came-before-birds-and-flight/#

Michael V said:

Michael V said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feather#Evolution

http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/feather_evolution.htm

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dinosaur-feathers-came-before-birds-and-flight/#

Yes, it is quite involved with some feather types developing from scales, whilst the majority developing separately from skin structures.

Saw this post, then saw the following on FB

Birds in teeny sweaters

Wings and feathers are quite different and independent propositions.

I think the first feathers were initially used to carry water back to nestlings.

Wings though are quite different.