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.
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.
Field Musuem
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.
Field Museum
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.
Image slideshow
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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
Archaeopteryx press kit
Multimedia materials are available to accompany articles and other press mentions (with proper credit and copyright adherence). Unless otherwise noted, all materials are © Field Museum.
