Xiaotingia facts for kids
Xiaotingia was an extinct type of dinosaur that lived a very long time ago. It was a theropod dinosaur, which means it walked on two legs, like a T-Rex! Xiaotingia looked a bit like Archaeopteryx, another famous ancient creature often thought of as one of the first birds.
Quick facts for kids XiaotingiaTemporal range: Late Jurassic, 155 Ma
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Xiaotingia
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Contents
When and Where Did It Live?
Xiaotingia lived during the Late Jurassic period. This was about 155 million years ago! Its fossils were found in western Liaoning, China.
Interestingly, the famous Archaeopteryx fossils were found in Germany. Those fossils are a bit younger, from about 144 million years ago. Scientists need to be careful when dating fossils that are bought from dealers. The Xiaotingia fossil was first seen at a museum after being purchased.
Could Xiaotingia Fly?
A big question about ancient creatures like Xiaotingia and Archaeopteryx is whether they could fly. Scientists study their bones and feathers to figure this out. It helps them understand how birds first developed the ability to fly.
Xiaotingia and the Bird Family Tree
Scientists use something called cladistics to study how different animals are related. They group animals into "clades" based on shared features.
When scientists studied Xiaotingia, they found it was closely related to Archaeopteryx. They also found it was related to dromaeosaurs and troodontids. These groups are all part of a larger group called Deinonychosauria.
This discovery led to some interesting discussions. Some scientists suggested that Archaeopteryx might not be a bird after all. They thought it belonged more with the Deinonychosauria group. However, other scientists still consider Archaeopteryx to be an early bird. This shows how new discoveries can change our understanding of ancient life!
Images for kids
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Size of Xiaotingia compared to a human.
See also
In Spanish: Xiaotingia zhengi para niños
