A Prehistoric Night Owl

Just like today’s owl or kiwi, Archaeopteryx may have been a bird that came alive at night.

Scientists have just found they can predict whether birds feed during the day, night or twilight depending on the shape of their eye sockets.

This gives them new insight into the lifestyles of prehistoric birds. An early study of an Archaeopteryx fossil shows it had deep eye sockets like an owl or kiwi which would make this dino-bird nocturnal.

Drawings of Archaeopteryx flying through daytime skies may have to be revised thanks to this new information.