Exhibition Highlights
See a real, Jurassic-era Archaeopteryx fossil up-close
Watch Archaeopteryx come to life in a 3D animated projection
Discover the importance of this small but mighty dinosaur
What is an Archaeopteryx?
How do you pronounce Archaeopteryx?
Every bird you’ve ever seen— every pigeon at a bus stop, every penguin at the zoo— is a living, breathing dinosaur. Birds are the only group of dinosaurs that survived the mass extinction caused when an asteroid hit the Earth 66 million years ago. A fossil called Archaeopteryx, with feathers, hollow bones, clawed wings, fifty tiny teeth, and a long bony tail, is the earliest known dinosaur that also qualifies as a bird.
Image slideshow
Archaeopteryx was the first known bird. Unlike birds you see today, however, Archaeopteryx had clawed hands with movable fingers.
Unlike other dinosaurs that used feathers only to keep warm, or, perhaps, for display, Archaeopteryx was feathered, and was able to fly and glide. This trait inspired the name Archaeopteryx, which translates to “ancient wing.” Impressions of feathers are extraordinarily well preserved in the Chicago Archaeopteryx.
This is the Chicago Archaeopteryx—one of only a dozen fossils of this animal ever found. Scientists will be studying this fossil for years to come.
The Chicago Archaeopteryx has the most complete skull of any Archaeopteryx fossil in the world. You can see its 52 pointy teeth, remarkably preserved from the Jurassic Period of 150 million years ago.
Scientists use UV light to examine the Chicago Archaeopteryx in more vivid detail.
Archaeopteryx was the first known bird. Unlike birds you see today, however, Archaeopteryx had clawed hands with movable fingers.
Unlike other dinosaurs that used feathers only to keep warm, or, perhaps, for display, Archaeopteryx was feathered, and was able to fly and glide. This trait inspired the name Archaeopteryx, which translates to “ancient wing.” Impressions of feathers are extraordinarily well preserved in the Chicago Archaeopteryx.
This is the Chicago Archaeopteryx—one of only a dozen fossils of this animal ever found. Scientists will be studying this fossil for years to come.
The Chicago Archaeopteryx has the most complete skull of any Archaeopteryx fossil in the world. You can see its 52 pointy teeth, remarkably preserved from the Jurassic Period of 150 million years ago.
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Archaeopteryx Timeline
The Jurassic Period begins.
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Locations of Archaeopteryx
There are 10 Archaeopteryx on public exhibition. The Chicago specimen is the only one in a major city in the Western Hemisphere.
Meet the Team
Countless people devoted their time and expertise to procuring, preparing, and researching the Chicago Archaeopteryx and sharing it with the world. Here are three of the leaders of the project from the Field Museum.
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Acknowledgments
Acquisition of the Chicago Archaeopteryx was made possible through the generosity of the Walter Family Foundation and a challenge grant from an anonymous donor.
Additional support is provided by:
Diana and David Moore; Jessica and Steve Sarowitz; Nicholas J. Pritzker; Lauer Foundation for Paleontology, Science and Education, Bruce Lauer and René Lauer; Marshall B. Front Family Charitable Foundation/Laura De Ferrari and Marchall B. Front
Corporate funding provided by
