"archaeopteryx", from the upper jurassic some 150–145 million years ago (mya), was for a long time the earliest known bird which could fly. it is famous, because it was one of the first important fossils found after charles darwin published his ideas about evolution in the 19th century. by modern standards, "archaeopteryx" could not fly very well. other early fossil birds are, for example, "confuciusornis", "anchiornis huxlei" and other paraves.