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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

Phys.org [phys.org]:

researchers at The University of Manchester have identified a new species of Archaeopteryx that is closer to modern birds in evolutionary terms.
...
Specimen number eight is the youngest of all the 12 known specimens by approximately half a million years. This age difference in comparison to the other specimens is a key factor in describing it as a new species.

Dr. Nudds explains: "By digitally dissecting the fossil we found that this specimen differed from all of the others. It possessed skeletal adaptations which would have resulted in much more efficient flight. In a nutshell we have discovered what Archaeopteryx lithographica evolved into—i.e. a more advanced bird, better adapted to flying—and we have described this as a new species of Archaeopteryx."

The more recent fossil was half a million years younger, but it's unknown if that entire timespan was required to evolve the new features.

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