Prehistoric Products

The Archaeopteryx Story

The earliest known bird, is represented by only six specimens on limestone slabs found in Bavaria, Germany. The quarry where they were discovered is part of the Solnhofen limestone formation which is late Jurassic in age (152 million years old). The quarry operation is principley for lithographic printing and building materials. Workmen often discover fossils while splitting the stone.

Formed originally by marine deposits, fish and other sea life are most often discovered, however, many pterosaurs, lizard-like reptiles, a tiny dinosaur and six fossil birds have been found through out the years.

These earliest known birds are not considered to be on the main line of avian evolution, but on a specialized sideline.

The story begins with the discovery of a single feather in 1861, proving birds existed during Jurassic times. Just a few months later, an entire skeleton was found, surprising scientists with a beak full of socketed teeth. It also had a long bony tail and three sharply clawed wing-fingers. If it had not come with feathers, it would have been identified as a small dinosaur!

The first specimen was purchased by the London Museum, which irritated the German people so much, that when another one was discovered in 1877, it was purchased by a rich, German industrialist and donated to the Humboldt University Museum in Berlin, where it resides today in a locked vault.

Four others have been found, none with the beauty of the Berlin specimen. This robin-sized bird reclines in a natural position with open wings displaying feathers clearly on a 15 X 18 inch slab. (Also Shown on home page)