Sinocalliopteryx

Sinocalliopteryx, live reconstruction

• Liaoning (China)

• Sinocalliopteryx gigas

Sinocalliopteryx (German: wonderful Chinese Spring ) was the largest genus of theropod dinosaur family of Compsognathidae. The only known species is Sinocalliopteryx gigas from the Chinese Yixian Formation in Liaoning Province, which is also the largest proven to fletched dinosaurs from this formation at the same time.

Description

The genus Sinocalliopteryx is precisely known to us by a well-preserved specimen from the Chinese Yixian Formation deposits Jianshangou the basin, which the Lower Cretaceous ( Aptian early ) is dated. This is approximately 2.50 m long, making it the largest ever discovered fossil of a Compsognathiden. Sinocalliopteryx was down to a few parts of the body, such as the ends of the extremities, fully feathered and had for Compsognathiden typical short arms, but unusually long hands with sharp claws. In addition, found himself in the stomach region of the holotype, a fragment of a smaller leg, now identified as Sinornithosaurus dromaeosauriden theropods, which Sinocalliopteryx identifying them as hunters. In the stomach region of a second Sinocalliopteryx - fossil scientists found remains of two copies of the first bird Conficiusornis.

Way of life

The skeleton shows clear adaptations to an active predatory life. Like all Compsognathiden Sinocalliopteryx was a fast and agile runner, but unlike his relatives, he was quite capable of even defensive, about the same size prey to hunt and sets itself as example of Compsognathus or Juravenator from. Its habitat, the Yixian Formation, was covered on the Lower Cretaceous with vast forests and home to diverse vertebrates.

Sinocalliopteryx is one of the largest known dinosaurs and proven there is to be regarded as Spitzenprädator. Next to him were also found other Compsognathiden, the relatively large and closely related Huaxignathus orientalis and Sinosauropteryx prima, the counted well his prey spectrum.