Sinosauropteryx

dinosaurs · feathers · fossils · ancient China

First feathered dinosaur. Sinosauropteryx was discovered in 1996 and made headlines worldwide because it was the first dinosaur outside of the bird family found with real feather evidence. This discovery proved that many dinosaurs had feathers, not just scaly skin.

Simple filament feathers. Unlike the complex feathers on modern birds, Sinosauropteryx had very simple feather-like filaments covering its body, like fuzzy hair rather than structured wings. These basic feathers may have helped keep it warm.

Striped tail pattern. Scientists found evidence that Sinosauropteryx had countershading, which means its belly was lighter and its back was darker. Its tail had distinctive bands or stripes running along it.

Color preserved in fossils. Tiny structures called melanosomes in the fossilized feathers left behind clues about what colors the dinosaur was, helping scientists figure out what it actually looked like millions of years ago.

Found in China. Sinosauropteryx was discovered in northeast China, where many of the world's most important feathered dinosaur fossils have been found preserved in ancient rock layers.