Basic info Taxonomic history Classification Included Taxa
Morphology Ecology and taphonomy External Literature Search Age range and collections

Eosinopteryx brevipenna

Reptilia

Discussion

Eosinopteryx brevipenna is a small feathered dinosaur, 30 cm in length, from the early part of the Late Jurassic (approximately 160 million years ago) of northwestern China. It is known from a single, complete articulated skeleton with feathers. The original describers of this species suggested it shows a reduced plumage (covering of feathers) relative to other contemporary and closely related feathered dinosaurs, and that this might indicate a ground-dwelling, fast-running way of life.

Taxonomy
Eosinopteryx brevipenna was named by Godefroit et al. (2013). Its type specimen is YFGP (Yizhou Fossil & Geology Park)-T5197, a skeleton (Complete articulated skeleton with associated integumentary structures), and it is a compression fossil. Its type locality is Yaolugou locality, which is in a Bathonian/Kimmeridgian lacustrine siliciclastic in the Tiaojishan Formation of China.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2013Eosinopteryx brevipenna Godefroit et al. p. 2 figs. 1-2
2018Eosinopteryx brevipenna Cau and Madzia p. 8

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
Sauropsida
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
RankNameAuthor
Romeriida
Diapsida()
Archosauromorpha(Huene 1946)
Crocopoda
ArchosauriformesGauthier 1986
Eucrocopoda
Archosauria()
informalAvemetatarsalia
Ornithodira
Dinosauromorpha
Dinosauriformes
Dinosauria()
Theropoda()
Tetanurae
Coelurosauria()
Maniraptora
Paraves
genusEosinopteryx
speciesbrevipenna

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Eosinopteryx brevipenna Godefroit et al. 2013
show all | hide all
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
P. Godefroit et al. 2013A small paravian maniraptoran theropod that possesses the following osteological autapomorphies: a short snout, about 82% the length of the orbit; a lacrimal with a long posterior process participating in about half the length of the dorsal margin of the orbit and a vestigial anterior process; a short tail, composed of 20 caudal vertebrae, 2.7 times the length of the femur; chevrons reduced to small rod-like elements below the proximal 8th or 9th caudal; an ilium with a proportionally long, low and distally tapering postacetabular process (ratio ‘length/height at midlength’ = 5), and pedal unguals shorter than corresponding penultimate phalanges. The plumage of this taxon is characterized by the absence of rectrices (versus other paravians with preserved plumage) and feathers on metatarsus and pes (versus other troodontids with preserved plumage on the hindlimb).