Microraptorinae

Craniata

Microraptorines
Temporal range: 125–75 Ma
Artist's restoration of Microraptor zhaoianus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Superorder: Dinosauria
Order: Saurischia
Suborder: Theropoda
Family: †Dromaeosauridae
Branch: †Microraptoria
Senter et al., 2004
Subfamily: †Microraptorinae
Longrich & Currie, 2009
Type species
Microraptor zhaoianus
Xu, Zhou & Wang, 2000
Genera

Microraptorinae (Greek, μίκρος, mīkros: "small"; Latin, raptor: "one who seizes") is a subfamily of Dromaeosauridae. Microraptorines were among the most primitive dromaeosaurids. They appeared 125 million years ago in China. Many may have been semi-arboreal gliders. Microraptorians were relatively small; adult specimens of Microraptor range between 77–90 centimetres long (2.53–3.0 ft) and weigh up to 1 kilogram (2.2 lb), making them some of the smallest known dinosaurs.[1][2] The largest, Hesperonychus, Graciliraptor and Sinornithosaurus, were no more than 1.8 metres long.[1]

Contents

Genera

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b Holtz, Thomas R. Jr. (2011) Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages, Winter 2010 Appendix.
  2. ^ Chatterjee, S., and Templin, R.J. (2007). "Biplane wing planform and flight performance of the feathered dinosaur Microraptor gui." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(5): 1576-1580. [1]

References

3."Expand and Life history of a basal bird:morphometrics of the Early Cretaceous Confuciusornis" Luis M Chiappe, Jesús Marugán-Lobón,Shu'an Ji & Zhonghe Zhou(2008)

External links