Archaeopteryx in 3D - click a feathered wing, the toothed snout, or the long bony tail for a fact (full controls on the Dinosaurs 3D hub).
Archaeopteryx was a crow-sized Late Jurassic feathered theropod from Solnhofen, Germany - an early bird with teeth, clawed wings, and a long bony feathered tail. Turn on the human figure to see how a person compares to its body. It is a dinosaur, not a pterosaur.
Archaeopteryx 3D Viewer
Below, an Archaeopteryx you can drag to turn, zoom closer, and click a wing, the snout, or the long bony tail for a fact about that part (the Dinosaurs 3D hub lists every control).
Archaeopteryx lived in the Late Jurassic, about 149 to 145 million years ago, in what is now Solnhofen, Germany. The Natural History Museum lists length about 0.5 m; mass estimates commonly fall about 0.5 to 1 kg. Hermann von Meyer named it in 1861. Feathered wings, teeth, and a long bony tail make it central to early-bird debates - and it is a dinosaur, not a pterosaur.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Length | about 0.5 m (NHM directory) |
| Standing height | about 0.2 m at the hips (approx.) |
| Weight | about 0.5-1 kg |
| When it lived | 149-145 million years ago (Late Jurassic) |
| Diet | Carnivore (small vertebrates and insects) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Archaeopteryx a bird or a dinosaur?
Both framings appear in public writing because it sits near the early-bird transition. Anatomically it is a feathered theropod dinosaur with teeth, clawed wings, and a long bony feathered tail - not a modern bird and not a pterosaur.
How big was Archaeopteryx?
About crow-sized: the Natural History Museum directory lists length about 0.5 m. Mass estimates commonly fall about 0.5 to 1 kg. Turn on the human figure to see the scale against a 1.8 m person.
When and where did it live?
In the Late Jurassic, about 149 to 145 million years ago, in the Solnhofen limestone of southern Germany. Hermann von Meyer named it in 1861.
Could it fly?
Fossils preserve asymmetric flight feathers on the wings, so aerial locomotion is widely discussed. Researchers still debate how much powered flight versus gliding it used. This page states the feathered-wing evidence without claiming a single flight mode as proven.
Is the model scientifically accurate?
The proportions follow published figures, but soft-tissue color is an artistic reconstruction. This model is not a fossil-accurate skeleton. Length, weight, and age figures are real published values, with ranges cited because sources vary.
Do I need to install anything to view it?
No. The model renders in your browser with WebGL - no app, no account, and nothing about your visit is sent to a server. When available, a free-licensed glTF model may swap in after first paint.