Feather a dromaeosaurid found in the Yixian formation (124.6 MYA). Previously, a temporal paradox existed in the evolution of feathers—theropods with highly derived bird-like characteristics occurred at a later time than "Archaeopteryx"—suggesting that the descendants of birds arose before the ancestor. However, the discovery of "Anchiornis huxleyi" in the Late Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation (160 MYA) in western Liaoning in 2009 resolved this paradox. By predating "Archaeopteryx", "Anchiornis" proves the existence of a modernly feathered theropod ancestor, providing insight into the dinosaur-bird transition. The specimen shows distribution of large pennaceous feathers on the forelimbs and tail, implying that pennaceous feathers spread to
Specimens of Archaeopteryx a fish. Fragments of the braincase and upper jaw were later identified and published by other researchers. While Owen's 1863 monograph on the specimen is historically considered to be the first real description of "Archaeopteryx", Henry Woodward, assistant of the Geological Department of the British Museum, had published a shorter article on the specimen in December 1862. Here he provided a detailed description as well as the first published illustration of the specimen, sketched from the original. Rather than an attempt to steal Owen's glory, Woodward gave him due credit in this article as its official describer. Woodward's article nevertheless