Dino of the Week: Xiaotingia

Type Species: Xiaotingia zhengi

Classification: Dinosauria – Saurischia – Theropoda – Coelurosauria – Maniraptora – Paraves – Avialae - Anchiornithidae

Location: China

Diet: Carnivore 

The paravian Xiaotingia was morphologically similar to Archaeopteryx. Xiaotingia was the size of a hen. It was covered in feathers and likely lived an arboreal lifestyle. It had long forelimbs – like Archaeopteryx – and it may have stood on its hind limbs and used its forelimbs for flapping. The feathers on its upper leg were quite long, and it had pennaceous feathers on its lower leg. If Xiaotingia could fly short distance, it likely used its feathered hind legs as ‘hind wings.’ Xiaotingia’s jaws likely held less than ten teeth, and the teeth were similar to those of basal avians.