Varied in form and function, Archaeopteryx stands out as the epitomy of dinobirds, the missing link that's not missing, and only of few species of animals known where every specimen can be recognized by where it's located. It even has a nickname, "Archie" but alas no companion named Jughead. Thank God.

From left to right, largest to smallest:

The Solnhofen Specimen, which has also been called Wellnhoferia grandis -- whose name means "the Large [bird] of Wellnhofer" after Dr. Peter Wellnhofer, who first described the skeleton -- is the largest Archie specimen, and is odd in having an unusual fourth toe.

The Haarlem, or Teylers, Specimen, which was at one point considered to be a pterosaur until 1970, 110 years after it was first found! It was known as Pterodactylus crassipes -- "rough-footed wing-finger" -- until someone noticed the feet were those of a bird, and there were even feathers. It is also the second largest specimen and the least completely preserved.

The Berlin Specimen, which is the holotype, was involved in the controversy surrounding the authenticity of the species, which some claimed was just a dinosaur without feathers, or that the skeleton was real but the feathers weren't, or again that the entire animal was a forgery, which has been extensively disproven.

The "Maxberg" Specimen, which is currently whereabouts unknown, may have been either sold by the private owner after it was taken out of display, stolen, or some other conspiracy related theory . The Maxberg, however, does have the oddest wings and legs of any of the Archies.

The Thermopolis Specimen, the newest specimen and the only one not currently residing somewhere in Europe (that we know of). So far, it is one of the best preserved specimens, and has the most detailed palate known to date. The ischium is unusual for all other Archies.

The London Specimen, which has the best preserved braincase of all Archies, is also one of the most studied, based on it's location and preeminence in the bird-origins debate following the publication of Darwin's On the Origin of the Species in 1859.

The München (that's Munich to all you Americans!) Specimen, which is the second smallest Archaeopteryx known and is so far the only recognized other species of Archaeopteryx.

The Eichstätt Specimen, a British researched named Howgate referred this specimen to a new species, Jurapteryx recurva -- "Jurapteryx," for the Jura Mountains of Germany and the Jurassic Period, plus "wing", and "recurva" which refers to the strongly curved foot claws, with relatively larger feet than other specimens -- but which appears to be the smallest A. lithographica known, and perhaps not fully grown.