Changyuraptor
Changyuraptor was a four-winged dinosaur that lived about 125 million years ago in what is now China. It had long feathers on its arms, legs, and tail, and could glide from tree to tree like a flying squirrel. It was the biggest known four-winged dinosaur, about the size of a turkey.21
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Fun facts
Changyuraptor had tail feathers nearly 30 centimeters (12 inches) long, the longest feathers ever found on a non-avian dinosaur.12
Its long tail feathers helped it control its pitch during gliding, allowing for softer and safer landings.12
Changyuraptor is the largest known four-winged dinosaur, about 60% bigger than other similar dinosaurs like Microraptor.21
It lived in a moist temperate forest with ginkgo and conifer trees, alongside other dinosaurs like the giant Yutyrannus.2
Scientists think Changyuraptor could glide or even fly using its two pairs of wings, one on its arms and one on its legs.21
The name Changyuraptor means 'long feather thief' in Chinese, referring to its very long tail feathers and its meat-eating habits.1
Most asked questions about Changyuraptor
?How big was Changyuraptor?
About 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) long and weighed around 4 kilograms (8.8 lb), roughly the size of a turkey.3
?Could Changyuraptor fly?
Yes, it had long feathers on all four limbs that suggest it could glide or even fly, using its two pairs of wings.3
?What did Changyuraptor eat?
It was a meat-eating dinosaur, as its name 'long feather thief' and its raptor-like teeth with serrations show.13
?Why did Changyuraptor have such long tail feathers?
The long tail feathers helped it control its pitch during gliding, allowing for softer and safer landings.13
?When did Changyuraptor live?
It lived about 125 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period.3
?Is Changyuraptor a dinosaur?
Yes, it is a dinosaur, specifically a dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur.3
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For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Changyuraptor
- Named by
- Han et al. 20144
- Group
- Raptors
- Family / clade
- Dromaeosauridae4
- Classification
- Theropoda > Dromaeosauridae4
- Age of the rocks
- 126 to 120 million years (Barremian / Aptian)4
- Rock formations
- Yixian4
- Countries
- China4
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database4
- Discovery
- The only known fossil of Changyuraptor was found by farmers near Xijianchang in Liaoning Province, China. It was studied by an international team led by Dr. Luis Chiappe and named in 2014.21
- Still debated
- Scientists are still debating whether Changyuraptor could truly fly or only glide, and how well it could control its movement in the air.12
Where the facts come from
- A new raptorial dinosaur with exceptionally long feathering provides insights into dromaeosaurid flight performance | Nature Communications (nature.com)
- Changyuraptor (en.m.wikipedia.org)
- Changyuraptor (en.wikipedia.org)
- Changyuraptor in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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