Zhenyuanlong
Zhenyuanlong was a feathered dinosaur that looked like a bird but had very short arms. It lived in what is now China about 125 million years ago. Even though its arms were tiny, it had big wings made of feathers on them!1
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Fun facts
Zhenyuanlong had very short arms for a raptor, only about half the length of its legs.1
Despite its short arms, it had large wings made of long, stiff feathers, similar to bird wings.1
It also had long feathers on its tail, which may have been used for display or balance.1
Zhenyuanlong is one of the largest feathered dinosaurs found in Liaoning, China, measuring about 1.65 metres long.1
It is only the second known short-armed dromaeosaurid from Liaoning, after Tianyuraptor.1
Unlike some other feathered dinosaurs, Zhenyuanlong did not have vaned feathers on its legs.1
Most asked questions about Zhenyuanlong
?Could Zhenyuanlong fly?
No, it probably could not fly. Its short arms and heavy body (about 20 kg) made flight impossible, even though it had large wings.4
?How big was Zhenyuanlong?
It was about 1.65 metres (5.4 feet) long from snout to tail tip, and with its long tail feathers it may have reached 2 metres (6.6 feet). It weighed roughly 20 kilograms (44 pounds).34
?What did Zhenyuanlong eat?
The sources do not say exactly what it ate, but as a dromaeosaurid (a raptor-like dinosaur) it was probably a meat-eater that hunted small animals.3
?When did Zhenyuanlong live?
It lived about 125 million years ago, during the Early Cretaceous period.3
?Why did Zhenyuanlong have wings if it couldn't fly?
Scientists think the wings might have been used for display, like a peacock's tail, or for keeping eggs warm. They may also have helped with balance.4
?Did Zhenyuanlong have feathers on its legs?
No, unlike some other feathered dinosaurs, Zhenyuanlong did not have vaned feathers on its legs. The fossil shows no sign of leg feathers.1
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Myth buster
Myth: Zhenyuanlong could fly because it had wings.
Truth: Its wings were too short for powered flight. Scientists think it used its feathers for display, gliding, or helping to climb trees.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Zhenyuanlong
- Named by
- Lü and Brusatte 20155
- Group
- Raptors
- Family / clade
- Dromaeosauridae5
- Classification
- Theropoda > Dromaeosauridae5
- Age of the rocks
- 126 to 120 million years (Barremian / Aptian)5
- Rock formations
- Yixian5
- Countries
- China5
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database5
- Discovery
- The fossil was found by a local farmer in Liaoning, China, and secured by Mr. Zhenyuan Sun, who gave it to scientists. It was named Zhenyuanlong suni in 2015 by paleontologists Lü Junchang and Stephen Brusatte.1
- Still debated
- Scientists are still debating how Zhenyuanlong is related to other dromaeosaurids, because its short arms and other features make its family tree complicated.1
Where the facts come from
- A large, short-armed, winged dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Early Cretaceous of China and its implications for feather evolution | Scientific Reports (nature.com)
- PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
- Zhenyuanlong (en.wikipedia.org)
- 'Big Bird' dino: Researchers discover largest ever winged dinosaur | Science | AAAS (science.org)
- Zhenyuanlong in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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