Caudipteryx
Caudipteryx
- Pronunciation:
- caw-dip-ter-iks
- Name meaning:
- 'tail feather'
© John Sibbick
- Type of dinosaur:
- small theropod
- Length:
- 1.0m
- Weight:
- 2kg
- Diet:
- omnivorous
- Teeth:
- sharp teeth that pointed outwards, at the front of the upper jaw only
- How it moved:
- on 2 legs
- When it lived:
- Early Cretaceous, 125-122 million years ago
- Found in:
- China
This bird-like dinosaur lived after Archaeopteryx. It had a fan of feathers at the end of its tail.
Caudipteryx has been found with gizzard stones (small stones swallowed by the dinosaur, perhaps to help digest food) and had small, weak teeth. It probably ate insects and maybe plants as well.
Taxonomic details
- Taxonomy:
- Dinosauria, Saurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Tetanurae, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Oviraptorosauria, Caudipterygidae
- Named by:
- Ji, Currie, Norell and Ji. (1998)
- Type species:
- zoui
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