Paraprotopteryx
Paraprotopteryx was a tiny bird that lived in the Early Cretaceous period, about 122 million years ago. It had four long, ribbon-like tail feathers that were longer than its whole body! These feathers may have been used to show off to other birds.1
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Fun facts
Paraprotopteryx is one of the earliest birds known to have four long tail feathers, which may have been used for display.1
Its wishbone (furcula) was Y-shaped with a very narrow angle between the two branches.1
The fossil of Paraprotopteryx was originally thought to be from the Yixian Formation, but later studies showed it came from the Huajiying Formation.1
Some scientists think the second pair of tail feathers might be a fake added by fossil traders, but the first pair is definitely real.1
Paraprotopteryx lived during the Hauterivian age of the Early Cretaceous, about 132 to 125 million years ago.2
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Myth buster
Myth: Paraprotopteryx is a dinosaur.
Truth: Paraprotopteryx is a bird, but birds are a type of dinosaur called avialan dinosaurs. So it is both a bird and a dinosaur!1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Paraprotopteryx
- Named by
- Zheng et al. 20073
- Group
- Early birds
- Family / clade
- Enantiornithes3
- Classification
- Theropoda > Avialae3
- Age of the rocks
- 133 to 126 million years (Hauterivian)3
- Rock formations
- Huajiying3
- Countries
- China3
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database3
- Discovery
- Paraprotopteryx was named and described in 2007 by Zheng Xiaoting, Zhang Zihui, and Hou Lianhai. The fossil was found in Hebei, China, and includes a skeleton with feathers.1
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure if the second pair of tail feathers in the fossil is real or a fake added later.1
Where the facts come from
- Paraprotopteryx (en.wikipedia.org)
- PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
- Paraprotopteryx in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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