Bird · GBIF taxon 4847899
Archaeopteryx lithographica
Archaeopteryx lithographicaAlso known as Urvogel, First Bird
Archaeopteryx lithographica represents an iconic evolutionary link between non-avian theropod dinosaurs and modern avians, possessing toothed jaws, clawed wing digits, and a long bony tail alongside fully developed flight feathers. It inhabited a semi-arid, subtropical archipelago surrounding the shallow Tethys Sea during the Late Jurassic, likely utilizing a mix of running, climbing, and short flapping bursts or glides to travel between stunted trees and rocky islands. Its discovery in Bavarian limestone quarries provided crucial contemporary evidence supporting Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.
FossilPrehistoric
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Jurassic insects
- Small lizards
- Early juvenile reptiles
Predators
- Compsognathus longipes
- Large pterosaurs
- Carnivorous theropods
ThreatsExtinction during the Late Jurassic epoch
HabitatsSubtropical coastal scrub and arid islands
Life spanEstimated 5–10 years
Classification
- FamilyArchaeopterygidae
- SpeciesArchaeopteryx lithographica
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe as fossil specimens in museum collections.
Responsible observation
- Museum Viewing: Examine authentic casts and slabs under angled lighting to reveal delicate feather impressions.
- Fossil Ethics: Always observe geological antiquities in accredited institutional collections rather than buying unverified black-market fossils.
Image unavailableNeighbor Neighbor 
Look-alike David W. E. Hone, Helmut Tischlinger, Xing Xu, Fucheng Zhang / CC BY 2.5 · cc-by
Close Relative Jonathan Chen / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
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