Wellnhoferia, named in honor of Peter Wellnhofer, represents a genus of ancient theropod dinosaurs with bird-like characteristics, closely affiliated with Archaeopteryx. These creatures inhabited the Late Jurassic territories of what is today Germany. Although sharing similarities with Archaeopteryx, Wellnhoferia exhibited some distinctions, including a shorter tail and a fourth toe of comparatively reduced length compared to Archaeopteryx.

The designated type specimen for Wellnhoferia is the Solnhofen Specimen of Archaeopteryx, recognized as BSP 1999. This specimen was initially discovered during the 1960s near Eichstätt, Germany, and was formally described by Peter Wellnhofer in 1988, although it was initially classified as a Compsognathus by an amateur collector. Currently, this significant specimen is housed at the Bürgermeister-Müller-Museum in Solnhofen.