Archaeopteryx
Pen and Ink
Paper Size: 11" x 14"
Mat Size: 16" x 20"
Jane's Notes: The discovery of the 150-million-year-old fossil Archaeopteryx in Germany in 1861 provided the first—and still the most famous—direct “missing link” that unambiguously connected birds and reptiles. Known as the “first bird,” Archaeopteryx had the bony tail of a reptile, covered in feathers. Its hyper-extendable killing toe (similar to that of a Velociraptor—or a cassowary) was paired with the beginnings of a transposed hallux, the reversed toe that allows modern birds to perch. Its birdlike beak was filled with reptile-like teeth. As in modern birds, the feathers on its wings were longer than those on its legs, and the webs of its flight feathers were asymmetrical, clearly indicating that they served an aerodynamic purpose. I composed Archaeopteryx as if it were gliding toward a tree branch, legs extended for landing. As it lacked the breastbone that anchors the flight muscles of modern birds, its wings would have had a restricted range of motion, so I composed them raised only just above the shoulder.
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