Protarchaeopteryx

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Protarchaeopteryx Fossil range: Early Cretaceous
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Superorder: Dinosauria Order: Saurischia Suborder: Theropoda Infraorder: Oviraptorosauria Genus: Protarchaeopteryx Ji & Ji, 1997
Species
P. robusta Ji & Ji, 1997 (type)

Protarchaeopteryx is a genus of turkey-sized feathered theropod dinosaur from China. Well-developed, vaned feathers extended from the short, stubby tail; the hands were long and slender, and had three-fingered clawed hands. It appears to be one of the most primitive members of the Oviraptorosauria and the large incisor teeth suggest that it is closely related to, or synonymous with, Incisivosaurus. It was probably an herbivore or omnivore, although its hands were very similar to those of small carnivorous dinosaurs.

Protarchaeopteryx, known from the Yixian Formation of China, lived in the Aptian age of the Early Cretaceous. It is probably more primitive than Archaeopteryx, making it a non-avian theropod dinosaur rather than a true avian bird. It might have been larger than Archaeopteryx. Protarchaeopteryx had symmetrical feathers on its arms. Since modern birds that have symmetrical feathers are flightless, and the skeletal structure of Protarchaeopteryx would not support flapping flight, it is assumed that Protarchaeopteryx was flightless as well.^[1]

[edit] References