Fossils provide critical evidence for understanding how life forms have evolved over time. One fasci
(nating) fossil, Archaeopteryx, w
(as) discovered i
(n) the la
(te) nineteenth cen
(tury). It da
(tes) back ab
(out) 150 mil
(lion) years a
(nd) exhibits a uni
(que) set of features: it has feathers and wings like a bird, but also possesses teeth, a long bony tail, and clawed fingers, which are more typical of reptiles. This led scientists to classify Archaeopteryx as a transitional fossil, a creature that exhibits characteristics of two distinct groups.
