Archaeopteryx, << `ahr` kee OP tuhr ihks, >> was a feathered animal that lived about 150 million years ago, near the end of the Jurassic Period. This crow-sized creature had a skeleton closely resembling that of a small dinosaur. However, it also had fully developed feathers and birdlike wings. As a result, Archaeopteryx has traditionally been classified as a bird. The first Archaeopteryx fossils were found during the 1860’s in Bavaria, a state in Germany. They provided the first solid evidence that birds descended from reptiles.
Unlike modern birds, Archaeopteryx had teeth, a long, reptilelike tail lined with feathers, and three “fingers” with claws on its wings. Many scientists believe that the animal used its claws to climb trees. Archaeopteryx was most likely an excellent glider and could probably fly, though scientists do not know how well. The word Archaeopteryx is Greek for ancient wing.
