There are two criticisms of the Archaeopteryx. One criticism is that the fossil fragments are fraudulent. Another criticism is that even if Archaeopteryx existed, it was a true bird and not a transitional form suggesting evolution.
== Specimens ==
There are currently ten known specimens of ''Archaeopteryx''<ref>Wikipedia claims an eleventh specimen, but only lists ten.</ref>.
All have been found in the limestone of the Solnhofen area in Germany.<ref name="CFM">Magovern, Charlie and Florence, [http://www.stonecompany.com/fossils/casts/archaeopteryx/data.html Archaeopteryx]</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
! Speciman || When found || Location fount || People involved || Current location || Comments
|-
| Feather<ref name="CN">Nedlin, Chris, [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/archaeopteryx/info.html#specimens All About Archaeopteryx], 1999 (The TalkOrigins Archive)</ref> || 1860 || Near Solnhofen || Described by H. von Meyer || Humboldt Museum für Naturkunde in [[Berlin]] || Single feather only.
|-
| London specimen<ref name="CN" /><ref name="CFM" /> || 1861 || Near Langenaltheim || Announced by H. v Meyer || [[British Museum of Natural History]], [[London]] || Missing the head and neck
|-
| Berlin specimen<ref name="CN" /><ref name="CFM" /> || 1877 || Near Blumenberg || Described by W. Dames || Humboldt Museum für Naturkunde || The most complete specimen
|-
| Maxberg specimen<ref name="CN" /><ref name="CFM" /> || 1958 || Near Langenaltheim || Found and owned by Eduard Opitsch || Was in Maxberg Museum but now missing || Torso
|-
| Haarlem Specimen<ref name="CN" /><ref name="CFM" /> || 1855 || Near Riedenburg || Described by H. von Meyer || Teylers Museum, [[Haarlem]] || Not classified as ''Archaeopteryx'' until 1970. Not very complete
|-
| Eichstätt Specimen<ref name="CN" /><ref name="CFM" /> || 1951 || Near Workerszell || Described by Peter Wellnhofer || Jura Museum, [[Eichstätt]] || Smallest specimen
|-
| Solnhofen Specimen<ref name="CN" /><ref name="CFM" /> || 1960s || Near Eichstätt || Described by Wellnhofer || Bürgermeister-Müller-Museum in Solnhofen || Missing some pieces, but fairly complete
|-
| Munich specimen or Solnhofen-Aktien-Verein specimen<ref name="CN" /><ref name="CFM" /> || 1991 || Near Langenaltheim || Described by Wellnhofer || Paläontologisches Museum München, [[Munich]] ||
|-
| Thermopolis specimen<ref>[http://www.wyodino.org/museum/?item=archaeopteryxexhibit The Wyoming Dinosaur Center]</ref><ref>Hartman, Scott, [http://skeletaldrawing.com/Archaeopteryx/archaeo.htm Clarification statement on Thermopolis specimen] (The Wyoming Dinosaur Center)</ref> || || || || Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis, [[Wyoming]] || Had been privately owned in Switzerland
|}
{{reflist}}
==First criticism: fraud==