Archaeopteryx sp. dinosaur in flight, illustration. Archaeopteryx, whose name means 'ancient wing', is widely thought to be one of the first flying dinosaurs. Archaeopteryx fossils were a crucial piece of evidence showing that birds evolved from small, predatory dinosaurs. Twelve 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.