Archaeopteryx Size report

Archaeopteryx was a small dinosaur that lived in the Late Jurassic period, representing a primitive type of Deinonychus. It was considered the earliest bird, but it was later discovered that the Confucius bird and the Liaoning bird were born earlier. Paleontologists now believe it was a small theropod dinosaur. On the contrary, they are not birds' ancestors but are likely the ancestors of later Deinonychus.

Archaeopteryx is an ancient vertebrate with a bird-like head, claws and wings, and a little ability to fly; it is similar to a reptile, with a very long tail and as many as 20 tail vertebrae. In addition to birds' feathers, it is generally believed that Archaeopteryx is an intermediate type from reptiles to birds and still belongs to dinosaurs, which appeared in the Jurassic period.

Biologists speculate that this ancient creature lived in the early Titonian stage of the Jurassic period, about 155 million to 150 million years ago. Today, some fossil specimens are only found in Germany, distributed in southern Germany. You will get more interesting facts about Archaeopteryx in the following post.

Appearance and Size of Archaeopteryx

Archeopteryx was the shape and size of a modern pheasant. The brain is enlarged, and there are grooved teeth in the mouth; the spine's structure is very simple, the vertebral body is the original double concave shape, and all the vertebrae can move freely. The forelimbs have developed into wings but are not perfect. There are three fingers, and each finger has a sharp claw. The flying ability of Archeopteryx is weak, and it is only suitable for short-distance flight between trees or from tree to the ground.

Archeopteryx is so famous because its fossils preserve exquisite feathers, which is exactly the unique feature of Solnhofen limestone, which has the magic power of preserving soft tissues. During the 148 years from 1860 to 2008, scientists discovered one feather and 10 Archeopteryx fossils one after another, and each discovery made Solnhofen famous all over the world. Eleven fossils are now classified as Archeopteryx, the only evidence of feathers from the Jurassic period found in this species; all remains are believed to be from independent specimens.

Average Size of Archaeopteryx

So far, people know very little about this small theropod that has long since disappeared from the face of the earth. According to the discovered Archeopteryx fossils and related research, paleontologists speculate that Archeopteryx was as big as a crow. Archaeopteryx may have an overall length between 0.4-0.5 meters, a standing height of 14-18 centimeters, and a body width of 3.5-5 centimeters. The weight of the Archaeopteryx was between 0.8-1 kilogram.

Facts About the Fossils of Archaeopteryx

As far back as the Late Jurassic, Solnhofen was located in the tropics. It was a shallow lake surrounded by reefs and scattered with mud flats. Its north is the land of central Germany today, and its south is the vast Tethys Sea (ancient Mediterranean). This stretch of sandbar off the coast has little communication with the lake and sea. For tens of millions of years, the bottom of the lake has slowly deposited fine mud, and the lake water's salinity has also increased daily, making it difficult for life to stop. Once an animal's carcass sinks to the bottom of the lake, which has extremely low oxygen levels, the mud seals the carcass, protecting it from further decay and destruction. Minerals then gradually infiltrated and fossilized the corpses, a lipid-fine carbonate matrix that preserved the body structure of these extremely detailed ancient creatures.

Final Words

The discovery in Solnhofen shocked the world. Paleontologists believe that the features on these fossils indicate that Archeopteryx was evolving from reptiles to birds. In particular, in addition to its strong teeth, some skeletal forms also show other bird or transitional characteristics. Archeopteryx, which thrived in the Jurassic era, not only left space for human imagination but also brought controversy to the scientific community for over 100 years. It is like a beautiful legend that tests the wisdom and courage of human exploration.