Eosinopteryx
Eosinopteryx was a small, feathered dinosaur that lived in the Jurassic period. It had a short tail and fewer feathers on its legs and tail than its relatives, so it was probably a fast runner that didn't fly much.1
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Fun facts
Eosinopteryx had a short tail with only 20 vertebrae, which is unusual for feathered dinosaurs.1
Its feathers on the tail, metatarsus and feet were much reduced compared to relatives like Anchiornis, suggesting it was a ground dweller.1
The name Eosinopteryx brevipenna means 'dawn Chinese short feather' because of its short feathers.1
Eosinopteryx had short, uncurved claws on its feet, perfect for running on the ground.1
It lived around 160 million years ago during the Middle to Late Jurassic, in what is now China.1
Most asked questions about Eosinopteryx
?How big was Eosinopteryx?
About 30 centimetres (12 inches) long, which is about the size of a crow.2
?Could Eosinopteryx fly?
Probably not. Its wing bones were arranged in a way that would have prevented flapping, and it had fewer feathers on its tail and legs, so it was likely a fast runner that stayed on the ground.12
?What did Eosinopteryx eat?
It was a meat-eating theropod dinosaur, so it likely ate small animals like insects or lizards.2
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For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Eosinopteryx
- Named by
- Godefroit et al. 20133
- Group
- Meat-eating dinos
- Family / clade
- Paraves3
- Classification
- Theropoda3
- Age of the rocks
- 168 to 152 million years (Bathonian / Kimmeridgian)3
- Rock formations
- Tiaojishan3
- Countries
- China3
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database3
- Discovery
- Eosinopteryx was named by Pascal Godefroit and colleagues in 2013, based on a complete skeleton found at Yaolugou, Liaoning, China.13
- Still debated
- Scientists are still debating whether Eosinopteryx was a troodontid or belongs elsewhere in the paravian family tree.1
Where the facts come from
- Reduced plumage and flight ability of a new Jurassic paravian theropod from China | Nature Communications (nature.com)
- Eosinopteryx (en.wikipedia.org)
- Eosinopteryx in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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