Yutyrannus huali is an extinct species of theropod dinosaur that lived during the early Cretaceous period, approximately 125 million years ago. The name "Yutyrannus" means "feather tyrant" and refers to its relationship to tyrannosaurs, while "huali" translates to "beautiful" in Chinese, referring to the beauty of the fossils found.
Yutyrannus huali is especially notable because it is one of the largest known dinosaurs ever discovered with evidence of feathers. Fossils found in Liaoning Province in northeastern China show impressions of feathers preserved in the surrounding rock and on the dinosaur's skeleton itself.
Yutyrannus huali is estimated to have been around 9 meters in length and weighed around 1.4 tons. Although smaller than its famous relative, the Tyrannosaurus rex, Yutyrannus was still a formidable predator. It had a large, robust head with sharp, curved teeth, adapted for tearing the flesh of its prey.
Feathers found on Yutyrannus fossils indicate that it had a primitive coat made up of filamentous primitive feathers, similar to modern bird feathers. These feathers may have helped Yutyrannus regulate its body temperature or attract mates during the mating season.
The discovery of Yutyrannus huali has been very important for our understanding of the evolution of feathers and the appearance of feathered dinosaurs. It has also challenged the previous idea that only small dinosaurs had feathers and has shown that even large, carnivorous dinosaurs like Yutyrannus were capable of developing this feature.
Approximate measurements of the Yutyrannus:
Yutyrannus huali is especially notable because it is one of the largest known dinosaurs ever discovered with evidence of feathers. Fossils found in Liaoning Province in northeastern China show impressions of feathers preserved in the surrounding rock and on the dinosaur's skeleton itself.
Yutyrannus huali is estimated to have been around 9 meters in length and weighed around 1.4 tons. Although smaller than its famous relative, the Tyrannosaurus rex, Yutyrannus was still a formidable predator. It had a large, robust head with sharp, curved teeth, adapted for tearing the flesh of its prey.
Feathers found on Yutyrannus fossils indicate that it had a primitive coat made up of filamentous primitive feathers, similar to modern bird feathers. These feathers may have helped Yutyrannus regulate its body temperature or attract mates during the mating season.
The discovery of Yutyrannus huali has been very important for our understanding of the evolution of feathers and the appearance of feathered dinosaurs. It has also challenged the previous idea that only small dinosaurs had feathers and has shown that even large, carnivorous dinosaurs like Yutyrannus were capable of developing this feature.
Approximate measurements of the Yutyrannus:
- 1:35 scale assembly kit
- Length 223 mm
- Height 118 mm
- Width 65 mm
- Snout-tail length 256 mm
- 1:20 scale assembly kit
- Length 385 mm
- Height 205 mm
- Width 113 mm
- Snout-tail length 450 mm
