Dinosaurs & Prehistory - Dinosaurs - Archaeopteryx - Birds - Dinosaur anatomy - Jurassic
What feature did Archeopteryx have that modern birds lack?
Correct!
Archeopteryx is one of the most famous fossils of all because it had an extraordinary mix of bird- and dinosaur-like features. It had feathers and a wishbone, but also sharp teeth, long bony tail vertebrae and claws on its fingers. It is precisely the teeth that clearly distinguish Archeopteryx from all birds alive today. Modern birds have no real teeth, while Archaeopteryx still had a jaw with numerous sharp teeth. Archeopteryx lived in the Late Jurassic, approximately 150 million years ago. His famous fossils come from the fine-grained limestones of the Solnhofen region in Bavaria, where even impressions of the feathers have been exceptionally well preserved. The old idea that Archeopteryx could only glide down from trees is no longer the only explanation. Studies of the wing bones suggest that it was at least capable of active wing flapping, although probably differently than modern birds.
In addition to feathers and a wishbone, Archeopteryx also had sharp teeth, long tail vertebrae and finger claws. Today's birds lack teeth.
