25th June,
1985
Dear
Mr Plant,
We
have not yet collected any coelurosaurs. These are the group to which
Archaeopteryx is most closely linked. Indeed more than one skeleton of
Archaeopteryx has been classified as a small coelurosaur for years, until the
faint impressions of feathers were noticed.
It
seems most likely that feathers were one of the earlier bird characteristics
to develop, and the skeletal changes followed. However, none of our material
bears upon this interesting investigation.
Yours
sincerely,
Mary
Wade
Curator
of Geology