Archaeopteryx fossil research. Palaeontologist studying a fossil of an Archaeopteryx sp. dinosaur. 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 fragmentary fossil, known as 'Chicken Wing' was found in 2000 and is being studied the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), Grenoble, France.