Archaeopteryx Facts for Kids

21 Archaeopteryx Facts For Kids

1. The Archaeopteryx was a dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic Period.
2. Archaeopteryx was a feathered bipedal theropod.
3. The Archaeopteryx was a carnivore that ate the meat of other dinosaurs.
4. You pronounce the name Archaeopteryx by saying: “ark-ee-OPT-er-ix”.
5. The meaning of the dinosaur name Archaeopteryx is “ancient wing” and “ancient feather”.
6. There are three species of Archaeopteryxes recognized by paleontologists.
7. The type species for the Archaeopteryx is Archaeopteryx lithographica.
8. The other two species of Archaeopteryx are Archaeopteryx siemensii and Archaeopteryx albersdoerferi.
9. German paleontologist Hermann von Meyer was the first person to discover an Archaeopteryx specimen in 1861.
10. German paleontologist Hermann von Meyer was also the first person scientifically described the Archaeopteryx in 1861.
11. The holotype specimen for the Archaeopteryx is BMNH 37001.
12. The other two species of Archaeopteryxes are Archaeopteryx siemensii and Archaeopteryx albersdoerferi.
13. German paleontologist Hermann von Meyer scientifically described the Archaeopteryx in 1861.
14. The Archaeopteryx was estimated to have an average body length around 1.6 feet.
15. The Archaeopteryx was estimated to have an average body weight around 1.8 pounds.
16. There are no official lifespan estimates for the Archaeopteryx but based on dinosaurs of a similar size that lived at the same period it was probably between 5 and 10 years.
17. The running speed of the Archaeopteryx is estimated to have been between 4 and 5 miles per hour.
18. The Archaeopteryx was a dinosaur that had feathers and plays an important role in the study of the origin of birds.
19. There is debate if the Archaeopteryx could fly or if it simply glided, its size suggests its maximum running wasn’t fast enough to create lift and fly.
20. Two years after Charles Darwin published his book “On the Origin of Species” the Archaeopteryx was discovered by Hermann von Meyer, which help support Darwin’s scientific theories.
21. Archaeopteryx fossil specimens have been found in modern-day Germany.

Archaeopteryx Pictures

There is a saying that claims a picture is worth a thousand words. If that is true then the below images will help you with your research on the Archaeopteryx Below you will find three pictures related to the Archaeopteryx dinosaur. These pictures should give you a bettering understanding of the Archaeopteryx and what it may have looked like.

A picture of an Archaeopteryx flying in the sky.

A picture of Archaeopteryxes hunting in the sky.

A picture of a fossilized Archaeopteryx.