The analysis, published in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature, classifies Archaeopteryx back into the bird category.

NPR: New Study Restores Famed Fossil To "Bird" Branch

Widely pegged as the earliest known bird, Archaeopteryx's status was called into question two years ago by Chinese scientists.

NPR: New Study Restores Famed Fossil To "Bird" Branch

Fossil discoveries of feathered dinosaurs in northeastern China over the past two decades have challenged Archaeopteryx's place in bird evolution.

NPR: New Study Restores Famed Fossil To "Bird" Branch

This confirms what has been observed in two other transitional fossils, Archaeopteryx (the oldest known bird) and Rodhocetus (a proto-whale).

ECONOMIST: How new groups of creatures emerge

Now an international team led by the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences believes Archaeopteryx should indeed be considered a bird.

NPR: New Study Restores Famed Fossil To "Bird" Branch

Now an international team led by the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences believes Archaeopteryx (ahr-kee-AHP'-teh-rihx) should indeed be considered a bird.

NPR: New Study Restores Famed Fossil To "Bird" Branch

The creature called Archaeopteryx (ahr-kee-AHP'-teh-rihx) was widely considered the earliest known bird.

NPR: New Study Restores Famed Fossil To "Bird" Branch

And don't rule out collecting replicas--Pritzker has a cast of a theropod skull and Myhrvold has casts of all seven known Archaeopteryx, the missing link between dinosaurs and birds.

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The latest evidence suggesting Archaeopteryx had more in common with birds than dinosaurs comes from the discovery of an intact, well-preserved skeleton of a previously unknown dinosaur dubbed Aurornis xui.

NPR: New Study Restores Famed Fossil To "Bird" Branch