Four feathered limbs
Long flight feathers occurred on both arms and legs, producing the famous ‘four-winged’ reconstruction.
A REAL DINOSAUR. A SUSPICIOUSLY FAMILIAR PERSONALITY.
MICRORAPTOR.
The overqualified multitasker.
One skill seemed limiting, so you collected several. You have a side project for your side project and a suspiciously competent answer to most questions.
SIGNATURE MOVEBeing good at something you described as ‘just messing around.’
SPECIMEN 24 / EARLY CRETACEOUS
MICRORAPTOR GUI · CARNIVORE
MICRORAPTOR GUI · CARNIVOREFred Wierum · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Meet the actual dinosaur THE ACTUAL SCIENCE STARTS HERE
Meet the real Microraptor.
The jokes are ours.
The animal was very real.
- WHEN
- About 120 million years ago
- ON THE MENU
- Carnivore
- LENGTH
- About 0.7–1 m
- BODY MASS
- Around 1 kg
Color evidence
Microscopic pigment structures in one specimen support dark, iridescent plumage.
A varied menu
Gut contents across specimens include evidence of birds, fish, lizards, and mammals.
A feathered tail
Long tail feathers contributed to its aerodynamic surfaces.
Jehol preservation
Exceptionally preserved Chinese deposits retain feathers and other details rarely visible in dinosaur fossils.
A dinosaur near birds
Microraptor was a small dromaeosaurid, part of the broader theropod radiation closely related to birds.
A little room for discovery.
Its exact takeoff methods, flight performance, and use of hind-limb feathers remain debated.
Read more: Microraptor on Wikipedia · Research and references. Facts are summarized in our own words. Size and date ranges are approximate; estimates vary by specimen and study. Gallery images may include other species within the genus.
A closer look.
Fossils, museum displays, and published reconstructions. Artwork shows an interpretation; it is not a photograph of a living dinosaur.
Is this your prehistoric alter ego?
Eight questions and an optional face scan will settle this. Very unofficially.