Supposedly a transitional fossil from dinosaur to bird. New evidence by Sir Fred Hoyle, a British evolutionist, shows that this was a hoax fabricated in the mid-1800's. As an evolutionist, Sir Hoyle received permission to look at the real fossil which no one had examined for some 70 years. All research on it had been done via photos and reproductions like this.
He found inconsistencies in the original compared to the reproductions and photographs.
Note that there is no “furcula” between the wing joints in this reproduction of the original fossil (on the right). The furcula (wish bone) helps act as a spring to aid in flight. All birds have this unique furcula. Drawings of the original fossil (such as that on the left) have the furcula added.
Evidence indicates that someone took a genuine dinosaur fossil, Compsognathus, and cut out the material (matrix) in the “wing” area, mixed it with glue, put it back into the rock, and then pressed feathers into it to make a pseudo - fossil. Hoyle tested the matrix and found evidence that it had been tampered with (cut out and re-glued) He wanted to do more tests, but the British Museum officials got nervous and denied any more examination of the real fossil.
The fossil is now in a vault in the British Museum and only “believers” are allowed to see it. No skeptics are allowed to do tests on it to determine it's authenticity. Fred Hoyle is now branded as an “unbeliever.”
Without the feathers this would be a coelurosaurian dinosaur, Compsognathus.
Including that feather, there are six specimens of Archaeopteryx in the world. All six came from that same German limestone area. In addition to the feather and the first two, three others are quite faint and difficult to use. It is almost impossible to tell what they are.
Scientists say it is a bird. It is significant that a special scientific meeting was held in 1982, a year before the furor over the Hoyle-Watkins declarations that Archaeopteryx was a hoax (which we will discuss shortly). The international Archaeopteryx Conference was held in Eichstatt, Germany, not far from the limestone deposits where all the specimens were originally found. At this meeting, it was decided that Archaeopteryx is a "bird" and not a reptile or half-bird / half-reptile. It was also decided that Archaeopteryx was not necessarily the ancestor of modern bird.
Therefore, the scientific community now officially declares Archaeopteryx to be only a bird, not a transitional species.
See also And see Ian Taylor's article, "The Ultimate Fraud: Archaeopteryx lithographica"