An analysis of two theropod dinosaur fossils has shown that they had a type of carpal bone (pisiform) in their wrists—a bone ...

And later on those feathers were co-opted for the purpose of flight. Robyn Williams: And one can imagine the scales which were all over the body becoming feather-like. Luis Chiappe: Actually not.

Not so bird-brained: 3D X-rays piece together the evolution of flight from fossils Date: January 3, 2011 Source: University of Abertay Dundee Summary: ...

Scientists were finally given access to a remarkable Archaeopteryx fossil that’s allowed them to better understand exactly how the earliest known bird could fly.