Archaeopteryx

Archaeopteryx is a genus of flying, carnivorous dinosaur with feathers that covered its entire body. Although similar in appearance with modern-day birds, archaeopteryx possessed many features not found in any contemporary birds, including sharp teeth, three clawed fingers, a bony tail, and hyper-extensible middle toes¹

Fast Facts

1. Pronounced: ark-ee-OP-tuh-rix
2. Name meaning: "Ancient Feather" or "Ancient Wing"
3. Classification:
   1. Class: Aves
   2. Order: Archaeopterygiformes
   3. Family: Archaeopterygidae
   4. Genus: Archaeopteryx²
4. Diet: Carnivore
5. Length: 2 feet
6. Weight: Less than 1 pound
7. Time period: 150-148 million years ago
8. Fossils found in Bavaria, Germany

Excavated Specimens

1. 1855: First specimen discovered, mistakenly classified as a Pterodactylus crassipes. Corrected in 1875 and known as the Haarlem or Teyler Specimen
2. 1860: Christian Erich Hermann von Meyer excavates fossilized remains of a single feather
3. 1861: Headless skeleton excavated, placed in the Natural History Museum and named the London Specimen.
4. 1876-1877: Full skeleton, including skull, excavated and named the Berlin Specimen.
5. 1956-1958: Torso recovered, and is still kept in a private collection. Known as the Maxberg Specimen.
6. 1951-1955: Much smaller specimen excavated. Has the most complete head of all currently-known archaeopterix fossils. Known as the Eichstätt Specimen.
7. 1960s: Mistakenly classified by an amateur paleontologist as a compsognathus specimen. Later re-examined and properly classfied. Known as the Solnhofen Specimen
8. 1992: Specimen classified as Archaeopteryx bavarica. Smaller in size than other fossils. Known as the Munich Specimen.
9. 1997: An incomplete specimen was excavated and named the Bürgermeister-Müller Specimen.
10. 2005: A complete specimen with well-preserved head and feet was donated to the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. Named the Thermopolis Specimen. ²

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