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| More Dinosaur Fact Sheets | EnchantedLearning.com Sinosauropteryx Fact Sheet Go to a Printable Version |
Dinosaur/Paleontology Dictionary |
| NAME: | Meaning - Sinosauropteryx means "Chinese lizard wing" Pronounced - SIEN-o-sawr-OP-ter-iks Named By - Ji Qiang and Ji Shuan When Named - 1996 |
| DIET: | Carnivore (meat-eater) - it ate small mammals (the remains of one were found fossilized in its stomach) |
| SIZE: | Length - 4 ft (1.25 m) long Height - 11.4 inches (29 cm) tall at the hips Weight - 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg) |
| WHEN IT LIVED: | Late Cretaceous period, about 135-121 million years ago |
| WHERE IT LIVED: | Fossils were been found in Yixian Formation, Liaoning Province, northeastern China, Asia. |
| FOSSILS: | Three complete skeletons of Sinosauropteryx have been found, including trace fossils of small fibers (protofeathers), stomach contents, unlaid eggs, and some internal organs. |
| CLASSIFICATION: |
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| INTERESTING FACTS: |
Sinosauropteryx had protofeathers that covered its body, probably acting as insulation. This tiny bipedal dinosaur had very short arms, long legs, and a very long tail. |
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