Sinornithoides Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 125 Ma |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Superorder: | †Dinosauria |
Order: | †Saurischia |
Suborder: | †Theropoda |
Infraorder: | †Deinonychosauria |
Family: | †Troodontidae |
Genus: | † Sinornithoides Russell & Dong, 1993 |
Species | |
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Sinornithoides (meaning "Chinese bird form") is a genus of troodontid theropod dinosaur. It lived during the Early Cretaceous (Barremian stage, around 130 125 million years ago). It measured approximately 1 meter long (3 ft). It lived in Inner Mongolia, China, and probably ate invertebrates and other small prey.
Sinornithoides youngi, the type species, was described in 1993 by Dale Russell and Dong Zhiming based on a fossil specimen from the Ejinhoro Formation.[1] It is represented by a holotype which is articulated and nearly complete except for the roof of the skull and the cervical and dorsal vertebrae, along with some other referred skeletal elements. The holotype is preserved in much the same roosting position as another troodontid fossil, that of Mei long, with its snout tucked under its left hand.[2]