Abstract
We are usually told that fossils involve the complete replacement of original living material by rock, except in rare cases (such as amber), because organic material is quickly destroyed. One of the most famous rock fossils is Archaeopteryx, the bird that has often been claimed to be a missing link from dinosaurs. An international team used X-rays to probe one of the nine known specimens of Archaeopteryx. To their surprise, they found original atoms from the feathers and bones of the animal still residing in the rock impressions - this after 150 million years has past since the bird died, according to the evolutionary chronology.