Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

An exceptionally well-preserved theropod dinosaur from the Yixian Formation of China

Abstract

Two spectacular fossilized dinosaur skeletons were recently discovered in Liaoning in northeastern China. Here we describe the two nearly complete skeletons of a small theropod that represent a species closely related to Compsognathus. Sinosauropteryx has the longest tail of any known theropod, and a three-fingered hand dominated by the first finger, which is longer and thicker than either of the bones of the forearm. Both specimens have interesting integumentary structures that could provide information about the origin of feathers. The larger individual also has stomach contents, and a pair of eggs in the abdomen.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2: Sinosauropteryx prima Ji and Ji.
Figure 3
Figure 4: Body of NIGP 127587.
Figure 5
Figure 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chen, P. J. Distribution and migration of Jehol fauna with reference to nonmarine Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary in China. Acta Palaeontol. Sin. 27, 659–683 (1988).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Hou, L.-H., Zhang, J.-Y., Martin, L. D. & Feduccia, A. Abeaked bird from the Jurassic of China. Nature 377, 616–618 (1995).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Hou, L.-H., Martin, L. D., Zhang, J.-Y. & Feduccia, A. Early adaptive radiation of birds: evidence from fossils from northeastern China. Science 274, 1164–1167 (1996).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Ji, Q. & Ji, S. A. On discovery of the earliest bird fossil in China and the origin of birds. Chinese Geol. 233, 30–33 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Chen, P. J. et al. Studies on the Late Mesozoic continental formations of western Liaoning. Bull. Nanjing Inst. Geol. Palaeontol. 1, 22–25 (1980).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Chen, P. J. Nonmarine Jurassic strata of China. Bull. Mus. N. Arizona 60, 395–412 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Dong, Z. M. Early Cretaceous dinosaur faunas in China: an introduction. Can. J. Earth Sci. 30, 2096–2100 (1993).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Li, W. B. & Liu, Z. S. The Cretaceous palynofloras and their bearing on stratagraphic correlation in China. Cretaceous Res. 15, 333–365 (1994).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Smith, P. E. et al. Dates and rates in ancient lakes: 40Ar-39Ar evidence for an Early Cretaceous age for the Jehol Group, northeast China. Can. J. Earth Sci. 32, 1426–1431 (1995).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Wang, D. F. & Diao, N. C. Geochronology of Jura-Cretaceous volcanics in west Liaoning, China. Scientific papers on geology for international exchange 5, 1–12 (Geological Publishing House, Beijing, (1984)).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Ostrom, J. H. The osteology of Compsognathus longipes Wagner. Zitteliana 4, 73–118 (1978).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Bidar, A., Demay, L. & Thomel, G. Compsognathus corallestris nouvelle espèce de dinosaurien théropode du Portlandiend de Canjuers (sud-est de la France). Ann. Mus. d'Hist. Nat. Nice 1, 3–34 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Currie, P. J. & Zhao, X. J. Anew large theropod (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Jurassic of Xinjiang, People's Republic of China. Can. J. Earth Sci. 30, 2037–2081 (1993).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Claesseus, L. Dinosaur gastralia and their function in respiration. J. Vert. Palaeontol. 16, 28A (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  15. von Huene, F. The carnivorous Saurischia in the Jura and Cretaceous formations principally in Europe. Revista Museo Plata 29, 35–167 (1926).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Perle, A., Chiappe, L. M., Barsbold, R., Clark, J. M. & Norell, M. Skeletal morphology of Mononykus olecranus (Theropoda: Avialae) from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia. Am. Mus. Novit. 3105, 1–29 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  17. Wellnhofer, P. Das siebte Exemplar von Archaeopteryx aus den Solnhofener Schichten. Archaeopteryx 11, 1–48 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Barsbold, R. Carnivorous dinosaurs from the Cretaceous of Mongolia. Sovmestnaya Sovetsko-Mongol'skaya Paleontol. Ekspiditsiya, Trudy 19, 5–119 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Griffiths, P. The question of Compsognathus eggs. Rev. Paleobiol. Spec. issue 7, 85–94 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Carpenter, K., Hirsch, K. F. & Horner, J. R. Dinosaur Eggs and Babies (Cambridge Univ. Press, (1994)).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Dong, Z. M. & Currie, P. J. On the discovery of an oviraptorid skeleton on a nest of eggs at Bayan Mandahu, Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. Can. J. Earth Sci. 33, 631–636 (1996).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Varricchio, D. J., Jackson, F., Borkowski, J. J. & Horner, J. R. Nest and egg clutches of the dinosaur Troodon formosus and the evolution of avian reproductive traits. Nature 385, 247–250 (1997).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Meng, J. & Wyss, A. R. Multituberculate and other mammal hair recovered from Palaeogene excreta. Nature 385, 712–714 (1997).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Pérez-Moreno, B. P. et al. Aunique multitoothed ornithomimosaur dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Spain. Nature 370, 363–367 (1994).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. von Huene, F. Der Vermuthliche Hautpanzer des Compsognathus longipes Wagner. Neues Jb. F. Min. 1, 157–160 (1901).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Grimaldi, D. & Case, G. R. Afeather in amber from the Upper Cretaceous of New Jersey. Am. Mus. Novit. 3126, 1–6 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  27. Ji, Q. & Ji, S. A. Protarchaeopteryx, a new genus of Archaeopterygidae in China. Chinese Geol. 238, 38–41 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Feduccia, A. The Origin and Evolution of Birds (Yale Univ. Press, New Haven, (1996)).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Gauthier, J. in The Origin of Birds and the Evolution of Flight (ed. Padian, K.) 1–55 (California Acad. Sci., San Francisco, (1986)).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Fastovsky, D. E. & Weishampel, D. B. The Evolution and Extinction of the Dinosaurs (Cambridge Univ. Press, (1996)).

    Google Scholar 

  31. McGowan, C. Feather structure in flightless birds and its bearing on the question of the origin of feathers. J. Zool. (Lond.) 218, 537–547 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Paul, G. S. Predatory Dinosaurs of the World (Simon and Schuster, New York, (1988)).

    Google Scholar 

  33. Ewart, J. C. The nestling feathers of the mallard, with observations on the composition, origin, and history of feathers. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 609–642 (1921).

  34. Van Tyne, J. & Berger, A. J. Fundamentals of Ornithology (Wiley, New York, (1976)).

    Google Scholar 

  35. Young, J. Z. The Life of Vertebrates (Oxford Univ. Press, (1950)).

    Google Scholar 

  36. Chinsamy, A., Chiappe, L. M. & Dodson, P. Growth rings in Mesozoic birds. Nature 368, 196–197 (1994).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  37. Chiappe, L. M. The first 85 million years of avian evolution. Nature 378, 349–355 (1995).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Brush, A. H. in Avian Biology vol. 9 (eds Farner, D. S., King, J. R. & Parkes, K. C.) 121–162 (Academic, London, (1993)).

    Google Scholar 

  39. Regal, P. J. The evolutionary origin of feathers Quart. Rev. Biol. 50, 35–66 (1975).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Ostrom, J. H. Reply to ‘Dinosaurs as reptiles’. Evolution 28, 491–493 (1974).

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Davis, P. G. & Briggs, D. E. G. Fossilization of feathers. Geology 23, 783–786 (1995).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by NSFC. We thank L.-s. Chen and P. J. Currie (Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology) for helping to prepare the fossil materials and manuscript; M.-m. Zhang, X.-n. Mu, G. Sun, J. H. Ostram, A. Brush, L. Martin, P. Wellnhofer, N. J. Mateer, E. B. Koppelhus, D. B. Brinkman, D. A. Eberth, J. A. Ruben, L. Chiappe, S. Czerkas, R. O'Brien, D. Rimlinger, M. Vickaryous and D. Unwin for assistance and comments; and L. Mazzatenta and M. Skrepnick for help producing the photographs and drawings.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pei-ji Chen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chen, Pj., Dong, Zm. & Zhen, Sn. An exceptionally well-preserved theropod dinosaur from the Yixian Formation of China. Nature 391, 147–152 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/34356

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/34356

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing