World of Dinosaurs/Archaeopteryx
Basics[edit | edit source]
Archaeopteryx means "old-wing".
Archaeopteryx lived during the late Jurassic period.
Anatomy[edit | edit source]
Archaeopteryx is the most basal bird found so far.
As the most basal bird, it has characteristics of both theropods and birds.
Phylogeny[edit | edit source]
Archaeopteryx is a bird and a theropod.
All theropods are dinosaurs.
All dinosaurs are amniotes and all dinosaurs are tetrapods.
Biomechanics[edit | edit source]
Using color pigmentation studies, paleontologists determined that Archaeopteryx probably had black feathers.
Fossil Record[edit | edit source]
Most of the fossils found of Archaeopteryx have been found in Bavaria, southern Germany
Ecology[edit | edit source]
Archaeopteryx is found in a layer of rocks with a multitude of insect fossils.
However, this same layer has relatively few fossils of trees preserved.
Biogeography[edit | edit source]
Rocks from the Jurassic period indicate hotter, wetter conditions than we experience on Earth today.
Rocks do not show signs of ice caps near the poles, of traveling ice-bergs, or other signs of "ice house" conditions.