Houck M A, Gauthier J A, Strauss R E
Science. 1990 Jan 12;247(4939):195-8. doi: 10.1126/science.247.4939.195.
Archaeopteryx is almost universally considered a primitive bird. Debate persists, however, about the taxonomic assignment of the six skeletal fossils. Allometric scaling of osteological data shows that all specimens are consistent with a single growth series. The absence of certain bone fusions suggests that no specimen is full-grown. Allometric patterns, as compared to growth gradients of other dinosaurs, extant ectotherms, and extant endotherms, suggest that Archaeopteryx was likely a homeothermic endotherm with rapid growth and precocial abilities for running and flying. Multivariate allometric models offer a significant potential for interpreting ontogenetic patterns and phylogenetic trends in the fossil record.
始祖鸟几乎被普遍认为是一种原始鸟类。然而，关于这六具骨骼化石的分类归属仍存在争议。骨学数据的异速生长缩放表明，所有标本都与单一的生长序列一致。某些骨骼融合的缺失表明没有标本是完全成熟的。与其他恐龙、现存变温动物和现存恒温动物的生长梯度相比，异速生长模式表明始祖鸟可能是一种恒温的恒温动物，具有快速生长以及早熟的奔跑和飞行能力。多变量异速生长模型为解释化石记录中的个体发育模式和系统发育趋势提供了巨大潜力。
