I don't quite remember when it was that paleontology first captured my attention, but it certainly entailed an amateur study of Archaeopteryx and all that had been written about it. I remember clearly being captivated and fascinated, and in awe that so much could be deduced from a well-preserved fossil.
It was probably around the same time that I was also following the intense discussions, (verging on controversy), about whether birds first took flight from the ground, or by gliding down from trees, and I was never quite sure which side I came down on!
