Archaeopteryx Archaeopteryx Archaeopteryx (), meaning "old wing" (sometimes referred to by its German name ("original bird" or "first bird")), is a genus of bird-like dinosaurs that is transitional between non-avian feathered dinosaurs and modern birds. The name derives from the ancient Greek ("archaīos") meaning "ancient", and ("ptéryx"), meaning "feather" or "wing". Between the late nineteenth century and the early twenty-first century, "Archaeopteryx" had been generally accepted by palaeontologists and popular reference books as the oldest known bird (member of the group Avialae). Older potential avialans have since been identified, including "Anchiornis", "Xiaotingia", and "Aurornis". "Archaeopteryx" lived in the Late Jurassic around
Archaeopteryx be black throughout, with heavier pigmentation in the distal tip. The feather studied was most probably a dorsal covert, which would have partly covered the primary feathers on the wings. The study does not mean that "Archaeopteryx" was entirely black, but suggests that it had some black colouration which included the coverts. Carney pointed out that this is consistent with what we know of modern flight characteristics, in that black melanosomes have structural properties that strengthen feathers for flight. In a 2013 study published in the "Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry", new analyses of "Archaeopteryx"'s feathers revealed that the animal