25th June, 1985

Dear Mr Plant,

We have not yet collected any coelurosaurs. These are the group to which Archaeopteryx is most closely linked. Indeed more than one skeleton of Archaeopteryx has been classified as a small coelurosaur for years, until the faint impressions of feathers were noticed.

It seems most likely that feathers were one of the earlier bird characteristics to develop, and the skeletal changes followed. However, none of our material bears upon this interesting investigation.

Yours sincerely,

Mary Wade
Curator of Geology