The crow – sized Archaeopteryx, an ancient bird that lived toward the end of the era of flying reptiles, possessed many characteristics of the reptiles from which it sprang. Like the birds, Archaeopteryx was feathered and had strong hind limbs with claws adapted for perching. But it had a toothed, reptilian beak, claws on its forelimbs and a reptilian tail. Fossil remains indicate that the animal had a weak jaw and small teeth and, unlike the pterosaurs, probably fed on plants, insects and grubs.
