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Beipiaosaurus

Say it: bay-PYOW-SORE-us

Name means: “Beipiao lizard”1

Ate: PlantsOdd feathered dinosEarly Cretaceous

Beipiaosaurus was a feathered dinosaur that looked a bit like a big, fluffy bird. It had long, simple feathers on its neck and tail, and scientists think it was covered in downy fuzz. This dinosaur was a plant-eater, even though it belonged to the meat-eating dinosaur group!1 2

Lived

126 to 120 million years ago4

Early Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Liaoning Province, China1 4

Food

Plants4 1

Length

2.2 m1

Weight

27 kg1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 7 house cats

as long as 4 house cats nose to tailas long as 12 bananas end to endas heavy as 5 watermelons

How big was Beipiaosaurus compared to YOU?

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cool stuff

Fun facts

Beipiaosaurus had two kinds of feathers: a fluffy downy coat and much longer, stiff, ribbon-like feathers called EBFFs (elongated broad filamentous feathers). These long feathers could be up to 15 cm (6 inches) long.1

Before the discovery of Yutyrannus, Beipiaosaurus was the heaviest feathered dinosaur known from direct fossil evidence.1

Its feathers were brownish, as scientists found out by studying the shape of pigment cells preserved in the fossils.1

Beipiaosaurus had a shorter neck than most other therizinosaurs, which usually have long necks for reaching high plants.1

The name Beipiaosaurus inexpectus means 'unexpected Beipiao lizard' because its features surprised the scientists who first studied it.1

Beipiaosaurus lived about 125 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period.1 4

AI-made picture of Beipiaosaurus — An AI-made picture of how Beipiaosaurus might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Beipiaosaurus

?How big was Beipiaosaurus?

Beipiaosaurus was a small dinosaur, about 2.2 metres (7.2 feet) long and weighing around 27 kilograms (60 pounds). Some estimates suggest it was a bit shorter at 1.8 metres (5.9 feet) and heavier at 50 kilograms (110 pounds).1 3

?What did Beipiaosaurus eat?

Beipiaosaurus was mostly a plant-eater, even though it belonged to the meat-eating dinosaur group. Its teeth and body structure show it was generally herbivorous.1 3

?Did Beipiaosaurus have feathers?

Yes, Beipiaosaurus had two kinds of feathers: a fluffy downy coat and much longer, stiff, ribbon like feathers called EBFFs. These long feathers could be up to 15 centimetres (6 inches) long.1

?When did Beipiaosaurus live?

Beipiaosaurus lived during the Early Cretaceous period, about 125 million years ago. Its fossils were found in the Yixian Formation in China.1 3

?Where was Beipiaosaurus found?

Beipiaosaurus fossils were discovered in Liaoning Province, China, near the city of Beipiao. The first remains were found in 1996 by a farmer named Li Yinxian.1

?What does the name Beipiaosaurus mean?

The name Beipiaosaurus means 'Beipiao lizard' after the city in China where it was found. The species name 'inexpectus' means 'unexpected' in Latin, because its features surprised scientists.1 3

?Was Beipiaosaurus bigger than T. rex?

No, Beipiaosaurus was much smaller than T. rex. It was only about 2.2 metres (7.2 feet) long and weighed around 27 kilograms (60 pounds), while T. rex was over 12 metres long.1

?What color were Beipiaosaurus feathers?

Scientists studied pigment cells in the fossils and found that Beipiaosaurus feathers were brownish. The melanosomes (color cells) were sphere-shaped, which gives a dark brown color.1

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Myth buster

Myth: Many people think all feathered dinosaurs could fly or glide.

Truth: Beipiaosaurus had feathers but could not fly. Its feathers were probably for display, insulation, or both.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Beipiaosaurus
Named by: Xu et al. 19994
Group: Odd feathered dinos
Family / clade: Therizinosauroidea4
Classification: Theropoda > Therizinosauria4
Age of the rocks: 126 to 120 million years (Barremian / Aptian)4
Rock formations: Yixian4
Countries: China4
Fossil records: 2 in the Paleobiology Database4
Discovery: A farmer named Li Yinxian found the first Beipiaosaurus fossil in 1996 near Sihetun, China. Scientists Xu Xing, Tang Zhilu, and Wang Xiaolin named it in 1999.1
Still debated: Scientists are still debating whether the long, ribbon-like feathers of Beipiaosaurus were used for display, to keep warm, or for some other purpose.1

Where the facts come from

Beipiaosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
A therizinosauroid dinosaur with integumentary structures from China | Nature (preview-www.nature.com)
Beipiaosaurus | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
Beipiaosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

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