Aurornis

The First Bird

A recent in depth study, “The Debate over Classification of Archaeopteryx as a Bird” (1) concluded:

“Therefore, based on a biblical worldview, logical grounds, the anatomy of the skeleton and skull, the presence of feathers, and following the traditional Linnaean classification, no reason remains for Archaeopteryx to be classified as anything other than a bird. “

However, the Urvogal (German name for the genus Archaeopteryx meaning first bird ) has now been replaced as the first bird in much literature. (Although “bird” is not an official taxonomy).

Introducing the ten million year older Aurornis, whose name comes from the Latin word aurora, meaning "daybreak", and the Greek word ornis, meaning "bird"

Phylogenetic Relationships (cladogram) showing hypothesized dates of existence possible origin:

Personally, I believe everything here, as well as what lies farther back on cladograms, descended from flying feathered animals. Consider the root above of Paraves, Epidexipteryx:

Used its feathers for help balancing along tree branches? Ridiculous. They are attached to a shortened pygostyle.

Ref:

1) https://answersresearchjournal.org/dinosaurs/debate-classification-archaeopteryx-bird/#:~:text=However%2C%20various%20workers%20have%20changed,will%20be%20discussed%20briefly%20here.

2) https://www.sci.news/paleontology/article01143-aurornis-xui-first-bird.html