The most valuable fossil of all time is the Archeopteryx dinosaur

The study revealed that Archeopteryx had feathers, hollow bones, wings with sharp claws, fifty teeth and a long bony tail, making them the oldest known dinosaurs and also classified as birds. Experts say that birds are the only group of dinosaurs that did not become extinct 66 million years ago. years after an asteroid hit the Earth.

This spring, the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago became one of the few places on our planet where you can see an Archeopteryx fossil with your own eyes.

Jingmai O’Connor is well known for her work with bird fossils, but she says she never dared to think that the day would come when she could study Archeopteryx.

In total, just over ten other Archeopteryx remains have been found, mostly in Europe. The only other Archeopteryx found in the Americas is at Thermopolis, Wyoming. The fossil exhibited in the Field Museum was accidentally unearthed by workers in 1990. Since then it has been owned by private collectors. It was only after raising funds from supporters that the Field Museum of Natural History finally managed to acquire it and bring it back in August 2022. Scientists say the fossil is still providing new information, even though they studied it in detail before obtaining it.