Bird
Archaeopteryx albersdoerferi
Archaeopteryx albersdoerferiAlso known as Daiting Archaeopteryx
Archaeopteryx albersdoerferi inhabited the subtropical island archipelago of modern-day Bavaria during the Late Jurassic, displaying skeletal adaptations better suited for powered flight than earlier congeners. High-resolution synchrotron imaging reveals hollow, air-filled bones and fused cranial elements that indicate advanced flight capabilities alongside clawed wings and sharp teeth. It likely flitted between scrubby island vegetation and coastal limestone flats while hunting small invertebrates and resting on rocky outcrops.
FossilLate Jurassic
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyInsects, Small lizards, Terrestrial invertebrates
Predators
- Large theropod dinosaurs
- Early crocodylomorphs
ThreatsExtinction during the transition of Jurassic island ecosystems
HabitatsArid island scrub, lagoons, and coastal limestone plains
Life span5–10 years (estimated)
Classification
- FamilyArchaeopterygidae
- SpeciesArchaeopteryx albersdoerferi
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Extinct; known only from fossil deposits and completely safe to study.
Responsible observation
- Museum Examination: Study high-resolution cast replicas or synchrotron scans to observe bone pneumaticity.
- Fossil Etiquette: View holotypes under supervised museum curation; never purchase undocumented black-market fossils.
Competitor Zach Tirrell from Plymouth, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 · cc-by-sa
Contemporary M0tty / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Pedro José Salas Fontelles, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
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