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EXHIBIT 27

Archaeopteryx

Archaeopteryx

Feathered wings combined with teeth and a long bony tail.

Evidence profile

TWO WAYS TO PICTURE THE PAST

Compare the evidence with the familiar movie image. The illustrations are not to a shared scale.

01 / SCIENTIFIC RECONSTRUCTION

An animal, reconstructed

Archaeopteryx life reconstruction by TotalDino. Small feathered paravian with broad wings, clawed hands, toothed jaws and a long feathered bony tail; avoid a modern short-tailed bird silhouette.

The artist identifies this reconstruction as Archaeopteryx. Fossil-informed anatomy: Small feathered paravian with broad wings, clawed hands, toothed jaws and a long feathered bony tail; avoid a modern short-tailed bird silhouette. Feather form is supported by fossils; color pattern and some soft tissues are interpretive. [1] [2]

Archaeopteryx TD.png — TotalDino. CC BY-SA 4.0. Remote source artwork displayed without additional cropping; Wikimedia supplies any display-size derivative.

Scientific picture served by Wikimedia · internet connection required.

02 / MOVIE-STYLE INTERPRETATION

A cinematic imagination

Original cinematic Archaeopteryx picture: Cinematic Archaeopteryx with feathered wings, small toothed head, visible hand claws and long bony feathered tail; limestone-island vegetation, lifted wings.

Cinematic Archaeopteryx with feathered wings, small toothed head, visible hand claws and long bony feathered tail; limestone-island vegetation, lifted wings. Dramatic lighting, surface detail and scenery are artistic choices. This is an original cinema-inspired picture, rather than a frame from a film or a documented fossil locality.

Original artwork · artistic interpretation.

Scientific view: credited paleoart interpreting fossil evidence, served online by Wikimedia. Movie-style view: Original artistic interpretation. Colors, soft tissues and settings involve reconstruction.

PERIODLate Jurassic[1]
DIETCarnivoreInferred from related anatomy [1]
TOTAL LENGTHNot established hereComparable estimate unavailable
FOSSILS FOUNDGermany[1]
CompareRead the dossierView the sources

MEET THE ANIMAL

Meet Archaeopteryx

Archaeopteryx lived about 150 million years ago, during the Late Jurassic. One exceptionally preserved fossil from the Solnhofen limestone of Germany now belongs to Chicago's Field Museum. Studying it required patience: its hollow bones were so fragile that preparators used scans to locate hidden pieces before carefully removing the surrounding rock. Ultraviolet light also revealed details difficult to see in ordinary light. [S1]

The specimen preserves feathers along the upper arm that help fill the gap between the wing and the body. Researchers interpreted this arrangement as a continuous surface useful for generating lift. Preserved foot pads and other details also help investigate life on the ground and possible climbing. Each feature supplies part of the picture, rather than a complete account of its daily routine. [S1]

A separate study examined the internal geometry of wing bones in three Archaeopteryx fossils. Their structure supported active flight, with a wing stroke different from that of modern birds. This means Archaeopteryx could have used powered flapping without having the full modern bird flight system. The conclusion is an anatomical inference, rather than a measured flight speed or endurance. [D2]

Overview sources
  1. UV light and CT scans helped scientists unlock hidden details in a famous fossilField Museum · Accessed 2026-10-04Inspected: page

PREHISTORIC ANIMAL DOSSIER

A life in profile.

The animal, the evidence, and the questions still open.

Archaeopteryx combined feathered wings with teeth and a long bony tail in Late Jurassic Europe. Its mosaic of bird-like and other theropod features makes it central to research on early dinosaur flight.

Profile scope: Genus: Archaeopteryx; mass and flight inference refer to three studied specimens.

Time
Late Jurassic
Fossil locations in this exhibit
Germany
How to read the evidence

Source supported identifies a description documented by the cited source. Inferred marks a reconstruction or functional estimate. Debated marks competing interpretations. Not established means the sources reviewed for this dossier do not support a firm conclusion; it does not mean a behavior never occurred.

A size reference is an estimate, not a population range. Nesting evidence does not by itself establish courtship, mate choice, or lifelong pairing.

Body length

Inferred

About 0.5 m; museum reference

NHM gives this rounded genus reference. It does not represent the dimensions of every specimen or species. [D1]

Body mass

Inferred

158–456 g across three study specimens

The flight study reports reconstructed masses of 158, 254 and 456 g for its fifth, seventh and ninth specimens. These model estimates are not an adult species range. [D2]

Diet

Inferred

Probably small animals

NHM proposes small reptiles, mammals or insects from its teeth and ecosystem context. These proposed foods are not reported gut contents. [D1]

Habitat & fossil setting

Inferred

Lagoon-associated subtropical islands of Europe

NHM reconstructs the Solnhofen area as lagoons surrounded by subtropical islands. Fossil burial in lagoon limestone does not make Archaeopteryx an aquatic animal. [D1]

Movement

Inferred

Bipedal; short flapping flight inferred

Wing-bone geometry in three specimens resembles birds using short-distance flapping. The study infers a flight stroke different from that of modern birds. [D2] [D1]

Distinctive anatomy

Source supported

Feathered wings; teeth; long bony tail

These features are preserved in skeletons and feather impressions, rather than inferred solely from modern birds. [D1]

Reproduction & life together

Reproduction & nesting

Not established

Not established here

The reviewed sources do not establish taxon-specific nest structure, clutch size or parental care.

Courtship & mating

Not established

Not established here

The reviewed sources do not establish a mating ritual, pair bond or breeding season for this taxon.

Social behavior

Not established

Not established here

The reviewed sources do not establish a taxon-specific group structure or social hierarchy.

Dossier research & sources

Sources and inspection notes for the claims in this profile.

  1. Archaeopteryx — Dino DirectoryNatural History Museum, London · Accessed 2026-10-02Museum genus reference; life stage and specimen not specified. · Inspected: page
  2. Wing bone geometry reveals active flight in ArchaeopteryxNature Communications; Voeten et al. (2018) · Accessed 2026-10-02Original research; three named specimens, reconstructed mass and wing-bone analysis. · Inspected: page

THE STORY IN THE FOSSILS

Meet Archaeopteryx.

Archaeopteryx had broad feathered wings, small teeth and a long bony tail. Its fossils come from limestone near Solnhofen, where lagoons lay among subtropical islands. These preserved skeletons and feather impressions made it a key animal in discussions of the evolutionary origin of birds. [1]

In 2025, study of the Chicago specimen revealed upper-arm feathers called tertials. Researchers argued that they filled an aerodynamic gap between wing and body, supporting flight. Preserved tissues in the hands and feet also added evidence for time spent walking on the ground. [2]

A note on scale and time

We have not established a comparable adult total-length estimate for this taxon in this draft. Specimen measurements in the text describe those individuals. The cited dates are approximately 149–145 million years ago. Approximate museum catalogue reference interval for the genus, not an exact duration for every species. Unknown does not mean zero.

Sources & editorial notes

Sources and evidence notes for this exhibit.

  1. Archaeopteryx — Dino DirectoryNatural History Museum, London · Accessed 2026-10-02Profile; How similar was Archaeopteryx to modern birds?; Where have Archaeopteryx fossils been found?; What colour was Archaeopteryx?; Taxonomic details. Its general flight discussion is supplemented with 2025 evidence.
  2. UV light and CT scans helped scientists unlock hidden details in a perfectly-preserved fossil ArchaeopteryxField Museum · Accessed 2026-10-0214 May 2025 report, wing-feather paragraphs on tertials and hand/foot soft tissues. Chicago specimen size is specimen-scoped and is not used as an adult value.

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