Sinornithoides
Live reconstruction of Sinornithoides youngi
- China (Inner Mongolia )
- Sinornithoides youngi
Sinornithoides ( " Chinese bird -like " ) is a genus of very small theropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Central Asia.
Fossils were discovered in this troodontids deposits from the Late Cretaceous (late Barremian to early Aptian ). He is one with a length of about one meter to the smallest known theropod. Sinornithoides lived in what is now China and supported himself probably of invertebrates and other small prey.
Features
With a body length of 1.1 meters, the weight of the Sinornithoides was estimated about 2.5 kilograms. The skull shows many common features ( synapomorphies ) with other troodontids: So this is, for example, absorbed the side, and the skull has a bulla ( a bubble- like elevation ) to ( Parabasisphenoid ). Of related species, Sinornithoides can distinguish by some skull features, although the describer could not describe autapomorphies ( unique characteristics), as other troodontids often receive incomplete. From Saurornithoides to Sinornithoides differs by a proportionally shorter skull and Troodon by the more lateral location on the skull eye sockets.
Description History
The type species Sinornithoides youngi 1994 first scientifically described by Dale Russell and Dong Zhiming. The description is based on an almost completely preserved skeleton ( holotype IVPP V9612 ), which was discovered in Inner Mongolia of China, near the village Muhuaxiao. Stratigraphically the Fund comes from the Ejinhoro Formation in the Ordos Basin.
The skeleton missing only the skull, cervical and dorsal vertebra and some other bones. The skeleton had the same situation as the discovery of the fossil relatives Mei long: The muzzle was placed under the left hand. Modern birds take a similar stance in his sleep, to protect themselves from the cold. This is seen as a further indication of the close relationship between birds and dinosaurs. His fossilized skeleton is so far the best preserved one troodontids.