Archaeopteryx compared to its body length. It could reach up to in body length, with an estimated mass of . "Archaeopteryx" feathers, although less documented than its other features, were very similar in structure to modern-day bird feathers. Despite the presence of numerous avian features, "Archaeopteryx" had many non-avian theropod dinosaur characteristics. Unlike modern birds, "Archaeopteryx" had small teeth, as well as a long bony tail, features which "Archaeopteryx" shared with other dinosaurs of the time. Because it displays features common to both birds and non-avian dinosaurs, "Archaeopteryx" has often been considered a link between them. In the 1970s, John Ostrom,
Specimens of Archaeopteryx other "Archaeopteryx" specimens. The left wing preserves the better plumage and shows flight feathers firmly connected to the arms. Though the wings overlap each other enough that assigning feather attachment points to individual bone regions is not possible, it does appear, consistent with other specimens and modern relatives, that the long primary feathers are attached to the second manual digit. The feathers of the right wing are considerably more damaged; so many feathers are missing that only a few can be definitively linked to the ulna, designating them as secondary remiges. One small feather is isolated next to the right