Asian Dinosaurs

As tyrannosaurs go, Dilong (Chinese for "emperor dragon") was a mere fledgling, weighing about 25 pounds soaking wet. What makes this theropod important is that a) it lived about 130 million years ago, tens of millions of years before more famous relatives like T. Rex, and b) it was covered with a fine coat of feathers, the implication being that this may have been a common tyrannosaur feature. More about < a href="http://dinosaurs.about.com/od/carnivorousdinosaurs/p/dilong.htm">Dilong

Despite what you saw in Jurassic Park, there's absolutely no evidence that Dilophosaurus spat poison at its enemies before rushing in for the kill. What makes this Asian theropod important is it early provenance (it's one of the few carnivorous dinosaurs to date from the early Jurassic period) and the characteristic, paired crests over its eyes, which were doubtless a sexually selected characteristic. More about Dilophosaurus

Pretty much all sauropods had long necks, but Mamenchisaurus was a true standout: this plant-eater's neck was a whopping 35 feet long, comprising half the length of its entire body. The long neck of Mamenchisaurus has prompted paleontologists to reconsider their assumptions about sauropod behavior; for example, it's hard to imagine this dinosaur holding its head at its full vertical height. More about Mamenchisaurus

For all intents and purposes, Microraptor was the Jurassic equivalent of a flying squirrel: this tiny raptor had feathers extending from both its front and rear limbs, and was probably capable of gliding from tree to tree. What makes Microraptor important is its deviation from the classic, two-winged, dinosaur-to-bird body plan; as such, it probably represented a dead end in avian evolution. More about Microraptor

The central Asian Oviraptor was a classic victim of mistaken identity: its "type fossil" was discovered atop a clutch of what were assumed to be Protoceratops eggs, occasioning this dinosaur's name (Greek for "egg thief"). It later turned out that this Oviraptor specimen was brooding its own eggs, like any good parent, and was in fact a relatively smart and law-abiding theropod. More about Oviraptor

Ceratopsians--the horned, frilled dinosaurs--are among the most recognizable creatures in our planet's history, but not so their earliest ancestors, of which Psittacosaurus is the most famous example. This tiny, possibly bipedal plant-eater possessed a tortoise-like head with only the faintest hint of a frill; to look at it, you wouldn't know what type of dinosaur it was destined to evolve into. More about Psittacosaurus

Although it has since been eclipsed by even bigger hadrosaurs, Shantungosaurus still holds a place in peoples' hearts as one of the biggest non-sauropod dinosaurs ever to walk the earth: this duckbill measured about 50 feet from head to tail and weighed in the neighborhood of 15 tons, and despite its size, it may have been capable of running on two feet when chased. More about Shantungosaurus

Considering how many small, feathered theropods have since been discovered in China, it's hard to appreciate the impact Sinosauropteryx made when it was announced to the world in 1996. Long story short, Sinosauropteryx was the first dinosaur fossil to bear the unmistakable imprint of primitive feathers, breathing new life into the now-accepted theory that birds evolved from small theropods. More about Sinosauropteryx

One of the oddest-looking creatures of the Mesozoic Era, Therizinosaurus had long, deadly-looking claws, a prominent pot belly, and a weirdly beaked skull perched on the end of a long neck. Even more strangely, this Asian dinosaur seems to have pursued a strictly herbivorous diet--alerting paleontologists to the fact that not all theropods were devoted meat eaters. More about Therizinosaurus

Thanks to its starring role in the Jurassic Park movies, Velociraptor is widely assumed to have been an all-American dinosaur--hence some peoples' shock upon learning that this classic raptor actually lived in central Asia. Although it wasn't nearly as smart (or as sizable) as it has been depicted on film, this turkey-sized theropod was still a formidable predator, and may have been capable of hunting in packs. More about Velociraptor