Archaeopteryx (if not colour banded) to some degree, so the darkness was attributed to such impurities. They also mention that a complete absence of air bubbles in the rock slabs is further proof that the specimen is authentic. Modern paleontology has often classified "Archaeopteryx" as the most primitive bird. It is not thought to be a true ancestor of modern birds, but rather, a close relative of that ancestor. Nonetheless, "Archaeopteryx" was often used as a model of the true ancestral bird. Several authors have done so. Lowe (1935) and Thulborn (1984) questioned whether "Archaeopteryx" truly was the first bird. They
Dinosaur tooth data that has been collected through dinosaur dental histological studies are typically unavailable through other means and has provided us with a more in-depth understanding on their biology. One of the most significant findings is that despite differences in their appearance, dinosaur teeth are essentially composed of the same dental tissues found in modern mammals, crocodilians and other amniotes, suggesting that these tissues first evolved in a common ancestor and has been retained ever since. Another finding is that the lines of von Ebner can be counted similar to tree rings to determine the age of a tooth. Furthermore, as