Genus
Valid Extinct

Microraptor

Xu et al. 2000
Etymology Petit voleur

Microraptor is a genus of small, four-winged dromaeosaurid dinosaurs. Numerous well-preserved fossil specimens have been recovered from Liaoning, China. They date from the early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation, 125 to 120 million years ago. Three species have been named, though further study has suggested that all of them represent variation in a single species, which is properly called M. zhaoianus. Cryptovolans, initially described as another four-winged dinosaur, is usually considered to be a synonym of Microraptor.

Temporal range
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
Paleogene
Neogene
252 201 145 66 0 Ma
PBDB occurrences
10
Group
Dinosaures
Carnivore Ground dwelling Terrestrial
Microraptor
click to enlarge
The holotype of Microraptor gui, IVPP V 13352 under normal light. This shows the preserved feathers (white arrow) and the 'halo' around the specimen where they appear to be absent (black arrows). Scale bar at 5 cm. © David W. E. Hone, Helmut Tischlinger, Xing Xu, Fucheng Zhang · CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia
PBDB ↗ Wikipedia ↗
Classification
Dinosauria Unranked clade
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Theropoda Unranked clade
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Neotheropoda Unranked clade
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Averostra Unranked clade
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Tetanurae Unranked clade
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Coelurosauria Unranked clade
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Maniraptora Unranked clade
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Paraves Unranked clade
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Deinonychosauria Infraorder
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Dromaeosauridae Family
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Microraptorinae Subfamily
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Microraptor Genus
Measurements
Length
0,95 m ⓘ
Microraptor zhaoianus 
0,8 m ⓘ
Mass
1,45 kg ⓘ
Microraptor zhaoianus 
Fossil sites 10 geolocated sites
Distribution
Top countries
🇨🇳 China
10
Geological formations
Jiufotang
10
Temporal distribution
Aptian (121.4–113.2 Ma)
10
Species (5)
Archaeoraptor liaoningensis objective synonym of Microraptor zhaoianus 121 Ma
Cryptovolans pauli subjective synonym of Microraptor zhaoianus 121 Ma
Microraptor gui 121 Ma
Microraptor hanqingi 121 Ma
Microraptor zhaoianus 121 Ma
Synonyms (2)
Archaeoraptor objective synonym of Microraptor
Cryptovolans subjective synonym of Microraptor
Images 5
Bibliography
Original description
X. Xu, Z. Zhou, and X. Wang. 2000. The smallest known non-avian theropod dinosaur. Nature 408:705-708 DOI ↗
Bibliography (10)
J. O'Connor, X. Zheng, and L. Dong, X. Wang, Y. Wang, X. Zhang, Z. Zhou. 2019. Microraptor with ingested lizard suggests non-specialized digestive function. Current Biology 29:1-7 DOI ↗
Q. Li, J. A. Clarke, and K.-Q. Gao, C.-F. Zhou, Q. Meng, D. Li, L. D.'Alba, M. D. Shawkey. 2014. Melanosome evolution indicates a key physiological shift within feathered dinosaurs. Nature 507:350-353 DOI ↗
E.-P. Gong, L. D. Martin, and D. A. Burnham, A. R. Falk, L.-H. Hou. 2012. A new species of Microraptor from the Jehol Biota of northeastern China. Palaeoworld 21:81-91 DOI ↗
C.-F. Zhou. 2010. New material of Chaoyangopterus (Pterosauria: Pterodactyloidea) from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of western Liaoning, China. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie Abhandlungen 257(3):341-350 DOI ↗
X. Xu, Z. Zhou, and X. Wang, X. Kuang, F. Zhang, X. Du. 2003. Four-winged dinosaurs from China. Nature 421:335-340 DOI ↗
S. A. Czerkas and Q. Ji. 2002. A preliminary report on an omnivorous volant bird from northeast China. Feathered Dinosaurs and the Origin of Flight. The Dinosaur Museum Journal 1. The Dinosaur Museum, Blanding, UT
S. A. Czerkas, D. Zhang, and J. Li, Y. Li. 2002. Flying dromaeosaurs. Feathered Dinosaurs and the Origin of Flight. The Dinosaur Museum Journal 1. The Dinosaur Museum, Blanding, UT
S. H. Hwang, M. A. Norell, and Q. Ji, K. Gao. 2002. New specimens of Microraptor zhaoianus (Theropoda: Dromaeosauridae) from northeastern China. American Museum Novitates 3381:1-44 DOI ↗
X. Xu, Z. Zhou, and X. Wang. 2000. The smallest known non-avian theropod dinosaur. Nature 408:705-708 DOI ↗
C. P. Sloan. 1999. Feathers for T. rex? New birdlike fossils are missing links in dinosaur evolution. National Geographic 196(5):98-107