Changes

|name=Archaeopteryx (extinct)

|superkingdomdomain=Eukaryota|kingdom= Animalia|subkingdom=Bilateria|branch=Deuterostomia

|infraphylum=Gnathostomata

|superclass=Tetrapoda

|species=A. lithographica<br/>A. macrura<br/>A. recurva<br/>A. siemensii

'''''Archaeopteryx''''' is , an extinct [[bird]] known from a small number of [[fossil]]. ''Archaeopteryx'' ized remains found in southern Germany, is sometimes presented as evidence of evolution because the bones have some characteristics reminiscent of claimed by [[reptileevolution]]s, making it appear ary biologists to be the first species of bird to appear on Earth,<ref>[http://www.discovery.org/a/1106 "Archaeopteryx is the oldest bird in the fossil record." - John Wells]</ref> as well as a so-called "[[transitional form]]" between reptiles and birds.

There are two criticisms of ''Archaeopteryx''. The first is that the fossils are an elaborate hoax as claimed by the British astronomer and physicist, Sir [[Fred Hoyle]]; the second is that ''Archaeopterix'' is a true bird, and not a transitional form suggesting evolution. ==Description==''Archaeopterix'' was roughly crow-sized, with an over-all body length of 18 inches. Discounting the feather impressions in some of the fossil specimens, ''Archaeopterix'' had a build generally-similar to that of a small theropod dinosaur, with the species ''Compsognathus'' cited. Both wings ended in three-fingered claws. The tail was long, feathered on either side. Evidence that the legs were feathered as well was shown in the Berlin specimen as recently as 1880, prior to that fossil's preservation. The bill, like modern birds, was capable of independent movement in both the upper and lower jaws; unlike modern birds, both jaws were studded with small teeth.  The hip bones are fully-formed and bird-like, i.e. the pubic bone points to the rear, unlike theropod dinosaurs (which had a forward-pointing pubic bone) from which evolution claims an ancestry. Despite this contradiction, some authorities prefer to place ''Archaeopterix'' within the order Avetheropoda, which includes such theropods as [[Tyrannosaurus|''Tyrannosaurus rex'']] and ''[[Spinosaurus]]''<ref>http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=basicTaxonInfo&taxon_no=55483</ref> All known fossils - approximately thirteen - were found in the Solenhofen limestone formation of southern Bavaria, Germany. == Criticism == ===Fraud dispute=======Charges of fraud====In 1983, a half-dozen leading [[British]] scientists led by noted British [[Fred Hoyle|Radio-astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle]] carefully studied the plates and counter-plates from the two best ''Archaeopteryx''specimens, and found evidence of forgery. <ref>Sarfati, 2000</ref> One criticism They discovered that the front and back slabs of each specimen do not match.<ref name="four">British Journal of Photography (March–June 1985).<br />W.J. Broad, "Authenticity of Bird Fossil is Challenged," N.Y. Times C1, C14 (May 7, 1985).<br />T. Nield, "Feathers Fly Over Fossil 'Fraud'," New Scientist 1467:49-50.<br />G. Vines, "Strange Case of Archaeopteryx 'Fraud'," New Scientist 1447:3.</ref>They found that an alteration had been made to the left wing as depicted in an 1863 drawing.<ref name="four" />They concluded that the feather markings had been imprinted by hand.<ref name="four" />They also found that etching process had used cement blobs.<ref name="four" />When the scientists requested the ability to use an electronic microscope and carbon-14 dating, the museum refused and withdrew the specimens from the scientists.<ref name="four" />The same [[British]] Museum had been responsible for the [[Piltdown Man]] fraud.====Assertions of authenticity====Scientists who have since inspected the London ''Archaeopteryx'' and other specimens have conlcuded these fossils are not forgeries.<ref>Charig et al. 1986. Archaeopteryx is not a forgery. Science 232: 622-626</ref> In particular, the found the feathers on the Maxburg fossil fragments continue underneath the bones - precluding the possibility of them being added to a reptile fossil, tiny fractures that could not have been seen at the time of Archaeopteryx's discovery matched in the plate and counter-plate and the 'blobs' cited by Hoyle are fraudulentalso have matching impressions on the counter plate (suggesting they weren't added). Another criticism The evidence that ''Archaeopteryx'' is not a fraud is so strong that even if creationist site [[Answers in Genesis]] suggests creationists don't use this argument <ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/get-answers/topic/arguments-we-dont-use</ref> ===Not a transitional===The second criticism of the ''Archaeopteryx'' existed, that it was is not a transitional form, has been strengthened by the work of anatomist Dr. David Menton<ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/bios/d_menton.asp</ref> suggesting that ''Archaeopteryx'' is a true bird and with flight feathers, not a transitional form suggesting at all. In 1994, an article explained that the ''Archaeopteryx'' was essentially a flying bird, with a large [[cerebellum]] and [[visual cortex]]. The fact that it had teeth is irrelevant to its alleged transitional status—a number of extinct birds had teeth, while many reptiles do not (the South American [[hoatzin]], ''Opisthocomus hoazin'', also shares with ''Archaeopteryx'' clawed digits in its wings, albeit as juveniles). == Evidence for evolution? ==In 1993, an article was published in ''Science'' magazine arguing that the ''Archaeopteryx'' had fully-formed flying feathers (including asymmetric vanes and ventral, reinforcing furrows as in modern flying birds), the classical elliptical wings of modem woodland birds, and a large wishbone for attachment of muscles responsible for the downstroke of the wings<ref>Feduccia, 1993</ref> While most evolutionary scientists agree that the flight feathers of ''Archaeopteryx'' were essentially modern, several papers since have argued against Feduccia's claims about the anatomy of ''Archaeopteryx''<ref>"The tenth skeletal specimen of Archaeopteryx," ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society,'' 149:97-116, 2007.</ref> Specimens such as the Thermoplis Specimen <ref>Wyoming Dinosaur Center.</ref> are thought to clearly show that the arms, wishbone, tail, feet, hips, and palate of ''Archaeopteryx'' were more like meat-eating theropod dinosaurs than modern birds.

There are currently ten only thirteen known specimens of ''Archaeopteryx''.<ref>Wikipedia claims an eleventh specimen, but only lists ten.</ref>.All have been were allegedly found in the limestone of the [[Solnhofen ]] area in Germanyand have not been substantiated by any discovery anywhere else in the world.<ref name="CFM">Magovern</ref>

! Speciman Image || Specimen || When found || Location fount found || People involved || Current location || Comments

| [[File:ArchaeopterixFeather.jpg|100px]] || Feather<ref name="CN">Nedlin, 1999 (The TalkOrigins Archive)</ref> || 1860 || Near Solnhofen || Described by H. von Meyer || Humboldt Museum für Naturkunde in [[Berlin]] || Single feather only.

| [[File:ArchaeopteryxLondon.JPG|100px]] || London specimen<ref name="CNCFM" /><ref name="CFMCN" /> || 1861 || Near Langenaltheim || Announced by H. v Meyer || [[British Museum of Natural History]], [[London]] || Missing the head and neck; detailed feather impressions.

| [[File:Archaeopteryx1.jpg|100px]] || Berlin specimen<ref name="CNCFM" /><ref name="CFMCN" /> || 1877 || Near Blumenberg || Described by W. Dames || Humboldt Museum für Naturkunde || The most complete specimen

| [[File:ArchaeopterixMaxberg.jpg|100px]] || Maxberg specimen<ref name="CNCFM" /><ref name="CFMCN" /> || 1958 || Near Langenaltheim || Found and owned by Eduard Opitsch || Was in Maxberg Museum but now missing ; currently lost or stolen || Torso, wings, and feather impressions

| [[File:ArchaeopterixHaarlem.jpg|100px]] || Haarlem Specimen<ref name="CNCFM" /><ref name="CFMCN" /> || 1855 || Near Riedenburg || Described by H. von Meyer || Teylers Museum, [[Haarlem]] || Not classified as ''Archaeopteryx'' until 1970. Not very completeRemains of wing claws and leg bones.

| [[File:ArchaeopteryxEichstätt.jpg|100px]] || Eichstätt Specimen<ref name="CNCFM" /><ref name="CFMCN" /> || 1951 || Near Workerszell || Described by Peter Wellnhofer || Jura Museum, [[Eichstätt]] || Smallest specimen

| [[File:ArchaeopteryxSolenhofen.jpg|100px]] || Solnhofen Specimen<ref name="CNCFM" /><ref name="CFMCN" /> || 1960s || Near Eichstätt || Described by Wellnhofer || Bürgermeister-Müller-Museum in Solnhofen || Missing some pieces, but fairly Nearly complete; no feather impressions.

| [[File:ArchaeopterixMunich.jpg|100px]] || Munich specimen or Solnhofen-Aktien-Verein specimen<ref name="CNCFM" /><ref name="CFMCN" /> || 1991 1992 || Near Langenaltheim || Described by Wellnhofer || Paläontologisches Museum München, [[Munich]] || First specimen to be found with an intact sternum, proving ''Archaeopteryx'' was capable of powered flight like modern birds|- | [[File:Archaeopteryx (Daiting Specimen).jpg|100px]] || Daiting specimen || 1990 || Near Daiting || || || The youngest specimen|-| [[File:Archaeopteryx (Chicken Wing).jpg|100px]] || Bürgermeister-Müller specimen || 2000 || || || Bürgermeister-Müller Museum, Solnhofen || Single wing only|-| [[File:ArchaeopterixThermopolis.jpg|100px]] || Thermopolis specimen<ref>The Wyoming Dinosaur Center]</ref><ref>Hartman, 2005</ref> || || || Described by Mayr, Pohl, and Peters || Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis, [[Wyoming]] || Had been privately owned in Switzerland|-| [[File:Archaeopteryx lithographica - 11 specimen.jpg|100px]] || ''no name given yet''<ref>http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/paleontologists-unveil-the-11th-archaeopteryx-112131580/?no-ist=</ref> || || || || || Currently studied by Paleontologists of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet.|-| || ''no name given yet'' || 2010 || Near Altmannstein<ref>http://www.donaukurier.de/nachrichten/bayern/Schamhaupten-Der-naechste-Archaeopteryx;art155371,2880263</ref> || || ||

* Bakalar, Nicholas, [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/12/1201_051201_archaeopteryx.html Earliest Bird Had Feet Like Dinosaur, Fossil Shows], National Geographic News, 1 December, 2005

* [[Duane Gish|Gish, Duane]], [httphttps://www.icr.org/article/321/ As a Transitional Form Archaeopteryx Won't Fly] ''Impact'', September 1, 1989* Hartman, Scott, [http://skeletaldrawing.com/Archaeopteryx/archaeo.htm Clarification statement on Thermopolis specimen] 1st 1 December 2005 (The Wyoming Dinosaur Center).

[[Category:Theory of Evolution and Cases of Fraud, Hoaxes and Speculation]][[Category:Birds]][[Category:Extinct Birds]]