Rosmana A.P | Science | Scientific Facts

Archaeopteryx is a primitive animal that lives around 150 million years ago. This animal is a primitive reptile (not a bird). But, it's appearance look like a fuse of bird and reptile.


The first Archaeopteryx fossil was found at 1861 in Solfhen, Germany. This animal fossils are very rare, it because Archaeopteryx has a bone structure that has hollow in it's bone, this kind of bone make the Archaeopteryx bone easily broken when it in "fossilisation process."

Archaeopteryx is believed as the ancestor of birds. But, not like it's descendant, Archaeopteryx can't fly because the Archaeopteryx has a weak chest muscle, really different from a modern birds that has a strong chest muscle. This animal use it's dense wings that formed by feathers for "floating" in the air from a tree to another tree. Beside that, Archaeopteryx has a back feet structure and heels that show an Archaeopteryx feet are compatible for run, These feet structure show an Archaeopteryx walks very well on the ground.

Archaeopteryx was known as the first animal that has feathers on it's body. Many Paleontologist believe Archaeopteryx feathers are transformed from a long scale that transform beacuse some parts of it's scale are moved and growed like barbs, rachis, bristles, etc. Then, this long scale become light, elastic, but solid called feathers.

The usage of this feathers make Archaeopteryx's wings become very dense and make the Archaeopteryx may floating in the air without any problem with it's wings. This kind of wings are really different than "a wing membrane" that was used by "Pterodactylus", a more primitive reptile than Archaeopteryx. A wing membrane is easily broken, especially when this wing membrane are torn, the reptile can't fly and become die due to starvation. Archaeopteryx and the others birds don't have any problem like this. It because the feathers of Archaeopteryx and the others birds are easily change with the new ones.

The found of the Archaeopteryx fossils are very helped many researcher. It because the found of the Archaeopteryx fossil automatically connecting the evolution chains that missed between reptiles and birds.