World of Dinosaurs/Archaeopteryx

BasicsEdit

Archaeopteryx means "old-wing".

Archaeopteryx lived during the late Jurassic period.

AnatomyEdit

Archaeopteryx is the most basal bird found so far.

As the most basal bird, it has characteristics of both theropods and birds.

PhylogenyEdit

Archaeopteryx is a bird and a theropod.

All theropods are dinosaurs.

All dinosaurs are amniotes and all dinosaurs are tetrapods.

BiomechanicsEdit

Using color pigmentation studies, paleontologists determined that Archaeopteryx probably had black feathers.

Fossil RecordEdit

Most of the fossils found of Archaeopteryx have been found in Bavaria, southern Germany

EcologyEdit

Archaeopteryx is found in a layer of rocks with a multitude of insect fossils.

However, this same layer has relatively few fossils of trees preserved.

BiogeographyEdit

Rocks from the Jurassic period indicate hotter, wetter conditions than we experience on Earth today.

Rocks do not show signs of ice caps near the poles, of traveling ice-bergs, or other signs of "ice house" conditions.