Archaeopteryx lithographica

The most famous of proto-birds, the original Archaeopteryx fossil is displayed in the Treasures gallery. In the Birds gallery, a replica of this first known specimen, 150 million years old, can be seen alongside modern birds. Side by side, it is easier to appreciate the differences, such as the long bony tail and clawed fore arms of Archaeopteryx, and the obvious similarity of its feathered wings. There is still much active research in reconstructing the likely ecology, behaviour and appearance of Archaeopteryx and new techniques reveal new details. For example, recent work on feather structure has revealed that the primary feathers of the wings were likely to have been all black.