Microraptor

Microraptor
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 120 Ma
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Fossil specimen, with white arrows pointing at preserved feathers
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Family: †Dromaeosauridae
Clade: †Microraptoria
Genus: †Microraptor
Xu et al., 2000
Type species
†Microraptor zhaoianus
Xu et al., 2000
Other species
  • †M. gui Xu et al., 2003
  • †M. hanqingi Gong et al., 2012
Synonyms
  • Cryptovolans Czerkas et al., 2002
  • "Tetrapterornis" Miller, 2004 (nomen nudum)[1]

Microraptor (Greek, μικρός, mīkros: "small"; Latin, raptor: "one who seizes") is a genus of small, four-winged dromaeosaurid dinosaurs. Numerous well-preserved fossil specimens have been recovered from Liaoning, China. They date from the early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation (Aptian stage), 125 to 120 million years ago. Three species have been named (M. zhaoianus, M. gui, and M. hanqingi), though further study has suggested that all of them represent variation in a single species, which is properly called M. zhaoianus. Cryptovolans, initially described as another four-winged dinosaur, is usually considered to be a synonym of Microraptor.[2]

Like Archaeopteryx, well-preserved fossils of Microraptor provide important evidence about the evolutionary relationship between birds and earlier dinosaurs. Microraptor had long pennaceous feathers that formed aerodynamic surfaces on the arms and tail but also on the legs. This led paleontologist Xu Xing in 2003 to describe the first specimen to preserve this feature as a "four-winged dinosaur" and to speculate that it may have glided using all four limbs for lift. Subsequent studies have suggested that Microraptor was capable of powered flight as well.

Microraptor was among the most abundant non-avialan dinosaurs in its ecosystem, and the genus is represented by more fossils than any other dromaeosaurid, with possibly over 300 fossil specimens represented across various museum collections.[3] One specimen in particular shows evidence of active primary feather moulting, which is one of the few known fossil evidence of such behavior among pennaraptoran dinosaurs.[4]

  1. ^ Miller, Z.M. (2004). "A new phylogeny of Dromaeosauridae". Student Showcase Journal, University of Alaska Anchorage. 20: 123–158.
  2. ^ Senter, P.; Barsold, R.; Britt, B.B.; Burnham, D.A. (2004). "Systematics and evolution of Dromaeosauridae (Dinosauria, Theropoda)". Bulletin of the Gunma Museum of Natural History. 8: 1–20.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference alexanderetal2010 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Kiat, Y.; O'Connor, J. K. (2023). "Rarity of molt evidence in early pennaraptoran dinosaurs suggests annual molt evolved later among Neornithes". Communications Biology. 6 (1). 687. doi:10.1038/s42003-023-05048-x. PMC 10317961. PMID 37400509.