Guanlong

dinosaur · carnivore · early tyrannosaurus · feathered

Ancient tyrant dinosaur. Guanlong was a meat-eating dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic period in what is now China. It belonged to a special group called tyrannosaurs that were related to the famous Tyrannosaurus rex, but lived millions of years earlier.

Likely had feathers. Scientists believe Guanlong probably had feathers covering its body, which helped keep it warm. This discovery shows that many theropod dinosaurs had feathers long before birds took to the skies.

Smaller than T. rex. Guanlong was much smaller and more graceful than its famous cousin Tyrannosaurus, with a longer tail and slimmer body built for speed. It was probably about the size of a large dog.

Babies and adults known. Scientists have found fossils of both an adult Guanlong and a nearly complete juvenile, giving us a rare look at how these dinosaurs grew from youngsters to adults.

Chinese fossil site. Guanlong was discovered in the Shishugou Formation in China, where its fossils lay hidden in rock for 160 million years until scientists found them in 2006.