Feathered theropod dinosaur — Caudipteryx zoui

Geologic period: Early Cretaceous — Aptian

Age: Early Cretaceous.

Feeding: Diet remains reconstructed from anatomy and preserved gut material in known specimens.

Locomotion: Terrestrial biped; not regarded as a powered flier.

Body plan: Small bipedal theropod with pennaceous feathers on the forelimbs and tail.

Evidence: Skeleton and feathers are directly preserved. Their exact behavioral functions are interpreted.

Why it matters: Caudipteryx proves that large vaned feathers were not exclusive to animals capable of flight.

Plain Language Identity: A small feathered non-avian theropod dinosaur from Early Cretaceous China.

What You Are Looking At: A cast based on a complete feathered skeleton of Caudipteryx zoui.

Ecosystem: Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota.

Formation: Yixian Formation.

Find Location: China.

Preservation: Visitor object is a cast.

Open Questions: Do not equate feathers automatically with powered flight.

Source Urls: https://naturalhistory.si.edu/visit/virtual-tour/current-exhibits/deep-time-virtual-tour-fossil-list; https://www.si.edu/object/nmnhpaleobiology_12307247

Enrichment Method: SAGE curated research pass; title + scientific name + source scene matched; comparative chronology retained; evidence separated from inference

Scientific name: Caudipteryx zoui

Evidence / representation: comparative_taxon_visual

comparative_taxon_visual

Cretaceous Worlds: Dinosaurs at Their Most Diverse.

Media license: CC BY-SA 3.0

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0