Anchiornis

Anchiornis was a crow-sized, feathered paravian theropod from the Late Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation of Liaoning, China. Measuring about forty centimetres from snout to tail tip and weighing scarcely three hundred grams, it is known from hundreds of exquisitely preserved specimens. Microscopic examination of melanosomes preserved in its plumage revealed that it had predominantly grey and black body feathers, stark white wing bars, and a striking reddish-brown crest on its head. Anchiornis had four feathered wings, with flight feathers extending from both its forelimbs and lower legs. While its skeletal proportions suggest it was primarily a ground-dwelling cursor or climber rather than an adept flapping flyer, it was capable of gliding or wing-assisted climbing. It fed on insects, small lizards, and small fish, using fine, needle-like teeth.

One of the first non-avian dinosaurs to have its complete plumage colouration mapped using fossilised melanosomes.

Where and when

Anchiornis lived in the Late Jurassic, from 161 to 158 million years ago (Oxfordian age). Its remains come from China, in the Tiaojishan Formation.

The numbers

Length 0.4 m (estimates run from 0.34 to 0.45 m). Mass about 0.21 kg. Hip height about 0.15 m. That is 0.2 human-lengths, or 0.04 of a double-decker bus. These are estimates from near-complete skeleton; fields marked estimated by the site are length, mass, hip height.

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