Final answer:
Archaeopteryx had a combination of dinosaurian and avian characteristics, including jaws with teeth, a long bony tail, and flight feathers with claws on wings, underscoring it as a transitional species.
Step-by-step explanation:
Three characteristics of Archaeopteryx that suggest a close relationship to dinosaurs are as follows:
- It had a jaw with teeth, which is a trait common to maniraptoran dinosaurs.
- Archaeopteryx possessed a long bony tail similar to dinosaurs, as opposed to the shortened tails found in modern birds.
- Like birds, it had flight feathers on both the forelimbs and tail, indicating an evolutionary adaptation for flight, but the claws on the wings were reminiscent of dinosaurs.
The presence of these features clearly indicates the transitional status of Archaeopteryx between maniraptoran dinosaurs and modern birds, supporting the evolutionary theory that birds are descended from theropod dinosaurs.