Archaeopteryx (/ ˌɑːrkiːˈɒptərɪks /; lit. 'old-wing'), sometimes referred to by its German name, " Urvogel " (lit. Primeval Bird) is a genus of bird -like dinosaurs. The name derives from the ancient Greek ἀρχαῖος (archaîos), meaning "ancient", and πτέρυξ (ptéryx), meaning "feather" or "wing".

Feb 5, 2025 · Fossils reveal how birds survived the killer asteroid and became today’s only living dinosaurs. Contrary to popular belief, dinosaurs never went extinct. They’re still alive among us – in the...

The present scientific consensus is that birds are a group of maniraptoran theropod dinosaurs that originated during the Mesozoic era. A close relationship between birds and dinosaurs was first proposed in the nineteenth century after the discovery …

Jun 12, 2019 · Often considered the first true bird, Archaeopteryx was something far more complex: a tiny dinosaur with distinctly bird-like characteristics.

Mar 11, 2025 · Archaeopteryx, genus of feathered dinosaur that was once thought to be the oldest known fossil bird. Its wing design and the structure and arrangement of its wing feathers were similar to that of most living birds, but its bone structure suggests that it engaged only in bursts of powered flight over short distances.

Feb 5, 2025 · Fossils reveal how birds survived the killer asteroid and became today’s only living dinosaurs. Why are birds the only dinosaurs still alive today?

Mar 27, 2025 · This dinosaur wasn’t a bird. Instead, it belonged to a group of closely related dinosaurs called dromaeosaurs. When paleontologist John Ostrom discovered it in the 1960s, it helped to reignite the debate over whether birds and dinos were related. Emily Wiloughby/Stocktrek Images/Getty Images.

Feb 3, 2025 · Rare fossil discoveries are revealing the secrets of bird evolution, telling the story of how some resilient feathered dinos became the vast array of colorful bird species that fill our skies.

Apr 7, 2025 · Dino Birds is an episode of the PBS science series NOVA, aired in 2025. The episode delves into the evolution of avialans (birds) in a roughly chronological narrative starting at Archaeopteryx, through to Cretaceous birds and the K-Pg mass extinction, and into the Cenozoic.

Why are birds the only dinosaurs still alive today? Rare fossil discoveries are revealing the secrets of bird evolution, telling the story of how some resilient feathered dinos became the vast array of colorful bird species that fill our skies.