Berlin sample of Archaeopteryx lithographica

The world-famous Berlin sample of the earliest bird, Archaeopteryx lithographica, has a special place in this exhibition. Of all eleven Archaeopteryx finds, the Berlin specimen is the best preserved and therfore thought to be the most famous fossil of the world. All specimen have been found in 150-million-year-old limestone sediments near Solnhofen and Eichstätt in Bavaria, Germany. Archaeopteryx shows characteristics of both birds and reptiles and is an important evidence for evolution. Even now, over 150 years after its discovery, it remains a hot topic in evolutionary research.

More about this famous dinosaur at the Museum für Naturkunde: Archaeopteryx lithographica – The Berlin specimen – The transitional fossil link between dinosaurs and modern birds.