Specimens of Archaeopteryx length. These hindlimb proportions agree roughly with those of the London specimen. The claw arc of the central pedal digit is about 120 degrees, which is close to the average for all "Archaeopteryx" specimens. This arc is also close to the average for that in perching birds and is well above the mean for ground-dwelling birds, despite conclusions against perching habits based on the short hallux and weak flexor tubercles. The remarkably preserved plumage is one of many features that sets the Berlin specimen head-and-coracoids above all other "Archaeopteryx" fossils to date. Clear feather impressions are visible on both wings,
Specimens of Archaeopteryx a fish. Fragments of the braincase and upper jaw were later identified and published by other researchers. While Owen's 1863 monograph on the specimen is historically considered to be the first real description of "Archaeopteryx", Henry Woodward, assistant of the Geological Department of the British Museum, had published a shorter article on the specimen in December 1862. Here he provided a detailed description as well as the first published illustration of the specimen, sketched from the original. Rather than an attempt to steal Owen's glory, Woodward gave him due credit in this article as its official describer. Woodward's article nevertheless