Archaeopteryx fossil research. Fossil of an Archaeopteryx sp. dinosaur being studied at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble, France. Archaeopteryx, whose name means 'ancient wing', is widely thought to be one of the first flying dinosaurs and is one of the most valuable fossils of all time. It is also one of the most important, since it was a crucial piece of evidence showing that birds evolved from small, predatory dinosaurs. Eleven specimens of Archaeopteryx have been found, all from the Solenhofen limestones of the Late Jurassic period (around 195-135 million years ago), in what is now Bavaria, Germany. This fossil, known as the 'Munich Specimen', was found on the 3rd August 1992.