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Archaeopteryx Information and Photos for Teachers and Students

Late Jurassic, Solnhofen Plattenkalk, Bavaria, Germany There are seven known specimens of Archaeopteryx, the earliest known bird. All were recovered from the fine-grained Solnhofen limestone known as Plattenkalk of Bavaria which was deposited during the late Jurassic. Archaeopteryx was the size of a small chicken with completely feathered body and tail. Click here for more information

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# 436 Archaeopteryx lithographica The Berlin Specimen The most famous of all Archaeopteryx specimens, found in 1877 it was the third to be discovered. Presently housed in East Berlin, Feather impressions are astonishingly distinct. Click here for more images

# 437 Archaeopteryx lithographica Counterpart of Berlin Specimen  Amazing detail of bones and feather impressions. Click here for more images

# 438 Archaeopteryx lithographica The London Exemplar The first Archaeopteryx identified and described by H. von Meyer in 1861. It was actually the second specimen discovered but he mistakenly identified the first as a pterasaur (see #443). Acquired by Dr. Carl Haberlein as payment for medical services, he later sold it to the London museum together with a large collection of other Solnhofen fossils for 700 British Pounds, two years aquisition budget for the museum. (Feduccia, 1996) Click here for more images

# 439 Archaeopteryx lithographica The Maxberg "Opitsch" Specimen Found in 1956 in a shed by a quarry worker, after nearly 100 years of quarrying with no Archaeopteryx discoveries. A geologist determined that it came from the same quarry at Langenaltheim that produced the London specimen but from a strata 20 feet higher in the quarry. This specimen which was mainly only a torso with some feather impressions was described by Florian Heller in 1959. (Feduccia, 1996) Click here for more images

# 440 Archaeopteryx lithographica Counterpart of #439 The private owner, Eduard Opitsch of Pappenheim, allowed it to be displayed at the Maxberg Museum near Solnhofen until 1982 when he removed it from dispaly. It resided safely in his home until his death in 1991. His heir was unable to find the slab and counterslab which are now presumed to have been stollen soon after the owner's death. (Feduccia, 1996) Solnhofen locals believe that Opitsch buried it to keep it from his heirs. Click here for more images

# 441 Archaeopteryx lithographica The Eichstatt Specimen Found in 1951 in a quarry near Workerszell, just north of Eichstatt, it is presently on display in the Jura Museum in Eichstatt, Germany. It was initially described in 1973 by F.X. Mayr as a juvenile specimen of Compsognathus. Twenty years passed before Mayr studied it again and noticed the faint feather impressions. It was described in 1974 by Peter Wellenhofer. (Feduccia, 1996) Click here for more images

# 442 Archaeopteryx lithographica Counterpart of #441 Smaller than other Archaeopteryx lithographica with teeth that are narrow, conical and curve backwards. They are distinctively different than those of the Berlin and London specimens which are stouter and more peg-like. Some suggest it could be a new species or even genus or perhaps it could be a juvenile. (Barthel, et al,, 1994) Click here for more images

# 443 Archaeopteryx lithographica Haarlem Specimen - Part and Counterpart pair Incorrectly identified as a pterasaur by H. von Meyer when it was found in 1855 in Riedenburg . Identified correctly and redescribed as Archaeopteryx by John Ostrom in 1970. Currently resides at The Teyler Museum, Haarlem, Netherlands. Matrix pieces measure 9 x 4.5 inches and 6 x 4 inches. (Feduccia, 1996) Click here for more images

# 444 Archaeopteryx bavarica The "Solenhofeer Akktien Verein" This specimen, dubbed "Solenhofeer Akktien Verein" in honor of the quarry company that owns it, is the most recent Archaeopteryx find. It was discovered in the Langenaltheim quarry in higher strata (more recent, hence younger) than either the Eichstatt specimen or the London. The London specimen, found in the deepest strata, is the oldest of the three found in this location. (Feduccia, 1996) Click here for more images

# 445 Archaeopteryx bavarica Counterpart of specimen #444 This specimen was discovered in 1992. It was described by PeterWellenhofer in 1993 who noted this was the first Archaeopteryx specimen with a ossified sternum (bony breastbone) for the attachment of the flight muscles, evidence that Archaeoptryx was actually able to flap its wings in flight or pre-flight. (Frickenger, 1994) Wellenhofer considered it different enough from the other specimens to warrent a new species, Archaeopteryx bavarica, characterized by relatively longer tibiae and hind legs. (Feduccia, 1996) Click here for more images

# 446 Archaeopteryx lithographica Solnhofen Specimen Found in 1987 in the collection of Friedrich Muller, the former mayor of Solnhofen. The exact location and date it was originally collected is unknown. It is the largest of all the Archaeopteryx specimens. The original is on display in the Burgermeister Muller Museum in Solnhofen, Germany. (Feduccia, 1996) Length from foot to restored end of tail 395 mm. (Barthel, et al,, 1994) Click here for more images

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