There are two theories at present which explain the origin of flight in birds. They are the arboreal theory and the cursorial theory. The arboreal theory states that birds first took off from the trees. The cursorial theory says that birds first took off from the ground. The study of Archaeopteryx is central to both of these theories.
Feathers are uniquely avian.
They are used for flight and thermoregulation in modern birds. The current theories explaining the origin of feathers will also be examined in this paper. The purpose of this Senior Honors Thesis is to examine general challenges brought against well established theories in science and how the scientific community deals with these challenges, and specifically to explore the current status of the debate surrounding Classical Darwinism. The thesis then will advocate that debate in science is needed to prompt the reexamining of established ideas. The objections to science as a whole as well as to Classical Darwinism by non-scientists will be examined in the first section.