Archaeopteryx
Ar-kay-op-teh-rixName meaning: Ancient Feather/wing
Time Period: Tithonian (Late Jurassic) 150.8–148.5 mya
Locations: Germany-Solnhofen Limestone Formation
Taxonomy: Chordata-Aves-Archaeopterygidae
Subspecies: A. lithographica A. siemensii
Characteristics ~ ~ ~ ~
Urvogel ore-voeg-el is the German name for Archaeopteryx meaning first bird. Immediately looking at Archeopteryx, you can see its resemblance to modern birds. The immediate noticeable differences is that it lacked a beak, still having a mouth full on tiny teeth. And that like most dinosaurs it had fully articulate tail draped with feathers in a tail fan that had a small notch at the tip. Archaeopteryx probably wasnt capable of full flight it doesn't have an osiffied sternum that most birds have giving them muscle power for flight and Archeopteryx shoulders weren’t flexible enough for a full flapping motion. It’s environment lacked many trees so it wasent arboreal likely using it’s wings for parachuting and balance when running. Partial coloration for Archaeopteryx is known, the first feather fossil contained melanaosomes black pigment polymer that also make feathers stronger and thicker and gives them color. Archaeopteryx had 4 toes with a small barely noticeable killing claw on its middle digit a trait it likely maintained from it’s raptor relatives which was in the process of being evolved out. Archeopteryx shared it's Limestone beds with Composognathus and Rhamphorhynchus
History & Fossils ~ ~ ~ ~
The Archaeopteryx holotype is actually a fossilized feather that was named Archaeopteryx rather than the animal itself discovered in 1861. In the same year BMNH 37001 the type skeleton was found having a full body and traces of wings it’s discovery was only two years after Darwin's On the Origin of Species was first published making not just important as a transitional species between birds and dinosaurs but an animal that represents the theory of evolution as a whole. This fossil was sold to the Natural History Musem in Berlin for 700 pounds or around 111 thousand USD accounting for today's inflation.
Media Deptictions ~ ~ ~ ~
Prehistoric Kingdom Archeopteryx and Microraptor were the first vivarium species. I always thought Archeopteryx was Nigel Marvin's favorite dinosaur, but it’s actually Microraptor. Only A. lithographica is in the game as of now. Archeopteryx has a diet of Kibble and can be found in the Altmühltal Formation, the formal name for the Solnfen Limestone Formation.
Jurassic World Alive Added in version 2.9 was not a creature I was expecting at all along with Coelurosauravus these two harmless flock creatures in a combat focused game. Its hybrid Argenteryx (Archaeopteryx + Argentavis) gave me a hard time getting back into the game when playing in tournaments because of its evasiveness and Rally.
