Archaeopteryx
Transitional fossil linking non-avian dinosaurs to birds.
Archaeopteryx, meaning "ancient wing" in Greek and sometimes called the "Urvogel" or "primeval bird" in German, is an extinct genus of bird-like dinosaurs. For much of the late 1800s through the early 2000s, paleontologists and reference works widely considered it the earliest known bird—a member of the group Avialae. However, older possible avialans have since been found, such as *Anchiornis*, *Xiaotingia*, *Aurornis*, and *Baminornis*.
This animal lived about 150 million years ago during the Late Jurassic, in what is now southern Germany. At that time, Europe was a chain of islands in a warm, shallow tropical sea, much closer to the equator than it is today. Roughly the size of a Eurasian magpie, the largest individuals may have reached raven size, with the biggest species growing up to about 50 cm (20 inches) long. Despite their small size, broad wings, and likely ability to fly or glide, *Archaeopteryx* shared more features with other small Mesozoic dinosaurs than with modern birds. These features—also seen in dromaeosaurids and troodontids—include jaws lined with sharp teeth, three clawed fingers, a long bony tail, a hyperextensible second toe (a "killing claw"), feathers (which also suggest warm-bloodedness), and several skeletal traits.
These characteristics make *Archaeopteryx* a clear transitional fossil between non-avian dinosaurs and birds. As such, it is important not only for studying bird origins but also for understanding dinosaurs. It was named in 1861 from a single feather, though the identity of that feather has been controversial. That same year, the first complete specimen was announced. Over time, twelve more fossils have surfaced. Despite differences among them, most experts consider all the remains to belong to a single species or at least a single genus, though this is still debated.
Most of the fourteen fossils include impressions of feathers, and because these are advanced flight feathers, they show that feather evolution had already begun before the Late Jurassic. The type specimen was discovered just two years after Charles Darwin published *On the Origin of Species*. *Archaeopteryx* seemed to support Darwin’s ideas and became key evidence for the origin of birds, the debate over transitional fossils, and confirmation of evolution. For a long time, it was seen as the starting point of the bird evolutionary tree. But in recent y
- lived
- Late Jurassic, around 150 million years ago
- location
- What is now southern Germany
- size
- Similar to a Eurasian magpie; largest up to 50 cm (20 in) in length
- field
- Paleontology
- known_for
- Transitional fossil between non-avian dinosaurs and birds; oldest known bird for over a century
- first_discovery
- Single feather in 1860 or 1861, described by Hermann von Meyer
Lore & Background
The first discovery of Archaeopteryx was a single feather unearthed in 1860 or 1861 and described by Hermann von Meyer in 1861. That same year, the first complete specimen was announced. Over the years, fourteen body fossil specimens have been found, all from limestone deposits near Solnhofen, Germany. The initial skeleton, known as the London Specimen, was unearthed in 1861 and described by Richard Owen in 1863 as Archaeopteryx macrura. The Berlin Specimen, discovered in 1874 or 1875, is the most complete and the first with a complete head. Other specimens include the Haarlem Specimen (first found in 1855 but misclassified as a pterosaur), the Maxberg Specimen (now missing), the Eichstätt Specimen, and the Solnhofen Specimen.
Reader's Guide
Archaeopteryx is one of the most important fossils in paleontology, serving as a clear transitional form between non-avian dinosaurs and birds. Its discovery in 1861, just two years after Darwin's On the Origin of Species, provided powerful evidence for evolution. For over a century, it was considered the oldest known bird, though recent discoveries of older avialans like Anchiornis, Xiaotingia, Aurornis, and Baminornis have complicated the picture. The advanced flight feathers preserved in most of the 14 known fossils indicate that feather evolution began before the Late Jurassic. Archaeopteryx also played a key role in the debate over the origin of birds and the nature of transitional fossils. Its mix of reptilian and avian features—teeth, claws, a long tail, and feathers—makes it a textbook example of evolution in action. However, recent discoveries of many small feathered dinosaurs have raised new questions about which animals are the ancestors of modern birds and which are their relatives, showing that the evolutionary tree of birds is more complex than once thought.
Did You Know?
- The first Archaeopteryx fossil discovered was a single feather, found in 1860 or 1861 and described by Hermann von Meyer.
- The Berlin Specimen was bought for 20,000 Goldmark, financed by Ernst Werner von Siemens, founder of the Siemens company.
- The Maxberg Specimen is currently missing and may have been stolen or sold after the death of its owner Eduard Opitsch in 1991.
- The Haarlem Specimen was originally described in 1857 as a pterosaur (Pterodactylus crassipes) and reclassified as Archaeopteryx in 1970.
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