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Microraptor

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Dinosaurs

            iMicroraptor

                       Fossil range: Early Cretaceous

   Model of Microraptor at American Museum of Natural History, New York
   City
   Model of Microraptor at American Museum of Natural History, New York
   City
                        Scientific classification

   Kingdom:    Animalia
   Phylum:     Chordata
   Class:      Sauropsida
   Superorder: Dinosauria
   Order:      Saurischia
   Suborder:   Theropoda
   Infraorder: Coelurosauria
   Family:     Dromaeosauridae
   Subfamily:  Microraptorinae
   Genus:      Microraptor
               Xu et al, 2000

                                   Species

     * M. zhaoianus ( type)
     * M. gui Xu et al, 2003

   Microraptor ("small thief") was a genus of small, dromaeosaurid
   dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Period ( Barremian stage), 130-125.5
   million years ago. Like Archaeopteryx, it demonstrates the close
   evolutionary relationship between birds and dinosaurs, as it had long
   pennaceous feathers on its limbs and tail. Two species have been named,
   M. zhaoianus and M. gui. It has recently been suggested that all of the
   specimens belong to a single species, which is properly called M.
   zhaoianus. Cryptovolans, another four-winged dromaeosaur, may also be a
   species of Microraptor.

Description

   A cast of a fossil Microraptor gui with preserved feathers.
   Enlarge
   A cast of a fossil Microraptor gui with preserved feathers.

   Microraptor was about 77cm (2.5ft) long from its nose to the tip of its
   tail. Its body had a thick covering of feathers, with a diamond-shaped
   fan on the end of the tail (possibly for added stability during
   flight). Some specimens demonstrate a raised feather "crest" on the
   head, similar to some modern birds, like the Pileated Woodpecker. Bands
   of dark and light present on some specimens may indicate colour
   patterns present in life.

Wings

   Like its close relative Cryptovolans (possibly a junior synonym of
   Microraptor), Microraptor had two sets of wings, on both its fore- and
   hind legs. Close studies of the Berlin specimen of the primitive bird
   Archaeopteryx show that it too, had flight feathers on its hind legs,
   albeit shortened. Many scientists now think that all basal avians had
   feathers on their hind legs and that they were used like the tail
   feathers of present birds, for maintaining balance and changing
   direction in the air. Sankar Chatterjee determined in 2005 that, in
   order for the creature to fly, the wings must have been split-level
   (like a biplane) and not overlayed (like a dragonfly). It has been
   proposed by Chinese scientists that the animal glided, rather than flew
   properly, although the presence of asymmetrical feathers (a
   characteristic normally seen only in flying birds) on both fore and
   hind wings may indicate at least rudimentary powered flight (Xu et al,
   2003).

Naming

   The naming of Microraptor is controversial, because of the unusual
   circumstances of its first description. The first specimen to be
   described was part of a chimeric specimen — a fraud assembled from
   multiple specimens in China and smuggled to the USA for sale. After the
   fraud was revealed by Xu Xing of Beijing's Institute of Vertebrate
   Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Storrs L. Olson, curator of birds
   in the National Museum of Natural History of the Smithsonian
   Institution, published a description of the tail in an obscure journal,
   giving it the name Archaeoraptor liaoningensis in an attempt to remove
   the name from the paleornithological record by assigning it to the part
   least likely to be a bird.^ However, Xu had discovered the remainder of
   the specimen from which the tail had been taken and published a
   description of it later that year, giving it the name Microraptor
   zhaoianus.^

   Since the two names designate the same individual as the type specimen,
   Microraptor zhaoianus is a junior objective synonym of Archaeoraptor
   liaoningensis and the latter, if valid, has priority. So, according to
   some interpretations of the International Code of Zoological
   Nomenclature, the valid name for this dinosaur probably is
   Archaeoraptor liaoningensis Olson 2000. However, there is some doubt
   whether Olson in fact succeeded in meeting all the formal requirements
   for establishing a new taxon.

   Most paleontologists are unwilling to use the name Archaeoraptor
   regardless of the precise legal status of the name. This is firstly
   because that name is strongly associated with the fraud and the
   National Geographic scandal and secondly because they view Olson's use
   of the name as attempted nomenclatural sabotage and do not want to
   support it. The name Microraptor zhaoianus Xu et al., 2000 has
   therefore almost attained universal currency.

Species list

   So far, six virtually complete skeletons of Microraptor have been found
   in Liaoning, China in 2001 and 2002.
     * Family: Dromaeosauridae
          + Subamily: Microraptoria
               o Genus: Microraptor
                    # Microraptor zhaoianus
                    # Microraptor gui

   Note: Cryptovolans pauli, which has the same four-wing body plan as M.
   gui, may also be a species of Microraptor. Senter et al. 2004 found
   that M. zhaoianus, M. gui, and C. pauli are all the same species (M.
   zhaoianus).

Microraptor in culture

   The Microraptor featured prominently in the third episode of
   Prehistoric Park. They were shown as gliding dinosaurs that were
   closely related to birds. They flocked down to feast on worms and
   insects that were bought to the surface by Titanosaurus' footprints.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microraptor"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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