A pre-Archaeopteryx troodontid theropod from China with long feathers on the metatarsus

Dongyu Hu (), Lianhai Hou, Lijun Zhang and Xing Xu ()
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Dongyu Hu: Paleontological Institute, Shenyang Normal University, 253 North Huanghe Street, Shenyang 110034, China
Lianhai Hou: Paleontological Institute, Shenyang Normal University, 253 North Huanghe Street, Shenyang 110034, China
Lijun Zhang: Paleontological Institute, Shenyang Normal University, 253 North Huanghe Street, Shenyang 110034, China
Xing Xu: Paleontological Institute, Shenyang Normal University, 253 North Huanghe Street, Shenyang 110034, China

Nature, 2009, vol. 461, issue 7264, 640-643

Abstract: Anchiornis huxleyi: strictly for the troodontids The troodontids and dromaeosaurs are the dinosaur groups most closely related to birds. Anchiornis huxleyi from the Jurassic of China was thought to have been a stem-group bird — on the way to accumulating bird-like traits but retaining significant characteristics from earlier forebears. But the discovery of a new and spectacular specimen shows instead that it was a troodontid. As such, it is a very early member of that group (antedating Archaeopteryx) and exhibits a rich plumage, especially on the legs and feet. The early history of the Paraves (troodontids, dromaeosaurs and birds) was clearly one of much evolutionary experimentation and ferment, only now being revealed as new fossil discoveries emerge.

Date: 2009
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DOI: 10.1038/nature08322

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