Caudipteryx
| Caudipteryx Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, (Aptian) ~ | |
|---|---|
| Mounted Caudipteryx zoui skeleton at Löwentor Museum | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Clade: | †Oviraptorosauria |
| Family: | †Caudipteridae |
| Genus: | †Caudipteryx Ji et al. 1998 |
| Type species | |
| †Caudipteryx zoui Ji et al., 1998 | |
| Other species | |
| |
Caudipteryx (meaning "tail feather") is a genus of small oviraptorosaur dinosaurs that lived in Asia during the Early Cretaceous, around 124.6 million years ago. They were feathered and extremely birdlike in their overall appearance, to the point that some paleontologists suggested it was a bird. Two species have been described: C. zoui (the type species), in 1998, and C. dongi, in 2000.
It had a stout trunk, long legs and was probably a swift runner. The discovery of Caudipteryx has led to many intensive studies and debate over the relationship of birds and dinosaurs.
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