(ar-kee-OP-ter-ix)
Although many scientists do not
consider this a dinosaur at all, others think it was. Its name means "ancient
feathers," and it is the earliest known a~ to have feathers like a bird. The
collarbone and some hip and foot bones, though, are more like dinosaur bones.
Archaeopteryx had small muscles and
three claws on each foot, with three-clawed fingers half way along each wing. Unlike
birds, which have no teeth, this animal had small teeth. It also had scales on its face.
From these facts it is possible to show that Archaeopteryx could not have flown very well.
It would have fluttered around just above the ground like a frightened chicken.
Archaeopteryx is believed to
be the link between land dinosaurs and true birds. For that reason, some scientists claim
it is not a dinosaur at all, but the first real bird. It probably got its feathers from
scales that split and allowed air to pass through. This would help Archaeopteryx get
airborne - but just barely! It was probably descended from Compsognathus, which had a long
neck, a very long tail, and light bones, just like Archaeopteryx.
Location: Bavaria, Germany
Diet: Insects, small vertebrates
Size: Length- 60cm (2ft)
Classification:
Family- Arhaeopterygidae
Class- Aves
Subclass- Archaeornithes
Order- Arhaeopterygliformes
Time: 156-150 million years ago
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