LegendaryJinfengopteryx
Jinfengopteryx elegans
jin-FENG-op-ter-iks· “golden phoenix wing”
🦕 Dinosaur🕰️ Cretaceous🍽️ omnivore🦴 Troodontidae
0.6 m
Length
0.3 m
Height
1 kg
Weight
A small feathered troodontid from China's Jehol Biota, preserved with a full coat of feathers. So bird-like that it was first mistaken for an early bird, and even preserved seeds in its gut.
When
Early Cretaceous, ~122 million years ago
Found in
China
Discovered
Ji Qiang, 2005
Did you know?
- Preserved with a complete coat of feathers.
- First mistaken for an early bird, so bird-like was it.
- Fossil seeds in its belly hint at an omnivorous diet.
Artwork: Matt Martyniuk (Dinoguy2), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5.