Yutyrannus Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Yutyrannus Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 124.6Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓

Restored skeletons mounted in fighting poses
Scientific classification
Species:	huali

Yutyrannus (say "Yoo-tie-RAN-us") was a large, feathered dinosaur. It was an early relative of the famous Tyrannosaurus rex. Its name means "feathered tyrant" in a mix of Mandarin Chinese and Latin.

This amazing dinosaur lived about 124.6 million years ago. This time period is known as the Lower Cretaceous period. Yutyrannus was about 10 meters (33 feet) long and 3 meters (10 feet) tall. That's about the length of a school bus! It is the biggest dinosaur ever found with clear signs of feathers.

Discovering Yutyrannus
Feathers and Their Purpose
Images for kids
See also

Discovering Yutyrannus

Scientists found the first Yutyrannus fossils in northeastern China. They were discovered in a place called Liaoning Province. Three nearly complete skeletons were found. These included an adult, a subadult (a teenager), and a younger dinosaur.

These fossils were probably found in a rock layer called the Yixian Formation. This area is famous for finding many feathered dinosaurs.

Feathers and Their Purpose

The feathers on Yutyrannus were long, up to 20 centimeters (8 inches). They were thin and hair-like, not like the stiff feathers on birds today. Because Yutyrannus was so big, it definitely could not fly.

So, why did it have feathers? Scientists think the feathers helped Yutyrannus in a few ways:

Keeping Warm: The feathers likely acted like a warm coat. This would help the dinosaur stay warm in cooler weather.
Showing Off: The feathers might have been used for display. This means they could have helped Yutyrannus attract a mate or warn off other dinosaurs.

Yutyrannus was much heavier than other feathered dinosaurs found before it. It was about 40 times heavier than Beipiaosaurus, which was the previous record holder for the largest feathered dinosaur.