Sinosauropteryx prima is the only known species of the extinct genus Sinosauropteryx of feathered compsognathid theropod dinosaur, which lived in the mid-Cretaceous period, approximately 125 million years ago, in the Aptian, in what is now Asia. It was discovered in northeast China's Liaoning province, which is famous for its abundant and well-preserved dinosaur fossils.
Sinosauropteryx was a small dinosaur, with an estimated length of around 1.1 meters and a weight of around just under 1 kilogram. It is believed that it was a carnivorous hunter that fed on small animals, such as lizards and primitive mammals.
One of the most distinctive features of Sinosauropteryx is its plumage. This dinosaur was one of the first non-avian dinosaurs to be discovered with evidence of feathers. Sinosauropteryx fossils have revealed the presence of filamentous structures resembling feathers, providing strong evidence that feathers evolved in dinosaurs long before modern birds appeared.
The feather pattern in Sinosauropteryx is remarkably similar to that of primitive birds, with brush-like tail feathers and a sort of "cloak" of short feathers on the body. These feathers probably served an insulation or display function, and it is possible that Sinosauropteryx used them for courtship or to scare off predators.
Although Sinosauropteryx was unable to fly due to its body structure and size, its discovery provided strong evidence for the evolutionary relationship between dinosaurs and birds. It also helped to change the traditional image of dinosaurs as scaly, featherless creatures, showing that some of them looked more like modern birds.
Approximate measurements of the Sinosauropteryx:
1:6 scale - 170 mm long
