<P> These features make Archaeopteryx a clear candidate for a transitional fossil between non-avian dinosaurs and birds . Thus, Archaeopteryx plays an important role, not only in the study of the origin of birds, but in the study of dinosaurs . It was named from a single feather in 1861 . That same year, the first complete specimen of Archaeopteryx was announced . Over the years, ten more fossils of Archaeopteryx have surfaced . Despite variation among these fossils, most experts regard all the remains that have been discovered as belonging to a single species, although this is still debated . </P> <P> Most of these eleven fossils include impressions of feathers . Because these feathers are of an advanced form (flight feathers), these fossils are evidence that the evolution of feathers began before the Late Jurassic . The type specimen of Archaeopteryx was discovered just two years after Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species . Archaeopteryx seemed to confirm Darwin's theories and has since become a key piece of evidence for the origin of birds, the transitional fossils debate, and confirmation of evolution . </P> <P> In March 2018, scientists reported that Archaeopteryx was likely capable of flight, but in a manner substantially different from that of modern birds . </P> <P> Most of the specimens of Archaeopteryx that have been discovered come from the Solnhofen limestone in Bavaria, southern Germany, which is a lagerstätte, a rare and remarkable geological formation known for its superbly detailed fossils laid down during the early Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period, approximately 150.8--148.5 million years ago . </P>

Explain the significance of the discovery of archaeopteryx