The Dino-Birds of Liaoning
Every now and then, paleontologists stumble across a fossil treasure trove that forever changes the public's perception of dinosaurs. Such was the case in the early 1990's, when researchers uncovered rich fossil deposits in Liaoning, a northeastern province of China. All of the fossils date from about 130 million years ago, making Liaoning a spectacular window into the early Cretaceous period.
Although Liaoning has yielded fossilized insects, fish and mammals, among other creatures, it has become best known for its dino-birds. To date, paleontologists have uncovered dozens of exceptionally well-preserved fossils of feathered theropods, accounting for over a dozen separate genuses. (You can often recognize a Liaoning dino-bird from its name; witness the "sino," meaning "Chinese," in Sinornithosaurus, Sinosauropteryx and Sinovenator.)
Since Liaoning's fossil deposits represent a mere snapshot in the long history of dinosaurs, their discovery has raised the possibility that more dinosaurs were feathered than scientists have ever dreamed--and that the evolution of dinosaurs into birds was not a one-time, linear occurrence. In fact, it's very possible that dinosaurs evolved into what we would recognize as "birds" numerous times over the course of a hundred million years--with only one branch surviving into the modern era, as those familiar pigeons, sparrows, penguins and eagles.
Here's a list of the most notable dino-birds of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods; just click on the links for more information.
Archaeopteryx This ancient, flying reptile was about the size of a modern pigeon.
Caudipteryx A birdlike dinosaur that changed the views of paleontologists.
Chirostenotes This birdlike dinosaur has been known by three different names.
Confuciusornis Guess what country this proto-bird was discovered in?
Epidendrosaurus Did this tiny dino-bird spend its life up a tree?
Falcarius A bizarre, feathered theropod from North America.
Incisivosaurus This buck-toothed dinosaur was the Cretaceous equivalent of a beaver.
Khaan Few small mammals dared face the wrath of this dinosaur.
Mei The current record-holder for "shortest dinosaur name."
Microraptor This tiny proto-bird had four wings rather than two.
Mononykus This dinosaur may have dug into termite mounds for its lunch.
Nomingia This small dinosaur had a peacock-like tail.
Oviraptor Turns out that this "egg thief" got a bad rap.
Pedopenna One of the earliest known dino-birds.
Protarchaeopteryx "Before Archaeopteryx?" It actually lived millions of years later.
Rahonavis Was it a raptor-like bird, or a bird-like raptor?
Scansoriopteryx This early proto-bird probably lived in trees.
Shuvuuia Scientists can't decide if it was a dinosaur or a bird.
Sinornithosaurus A typical dino-bird of the early Cretaceous.
Sinosauropteryx The first dinosaur proven to have feathers.
Sinovenator This "Chinese hunter" preyed on its fellow dino-birds.
