Zhenyuanlong

Zhenyuanlong is a genus of dromaeosaurid dinosaur from the Yixian Formation of Liaoning, China. It lived in the early Cretaceous period, about 125 million years ago.

Zhenyuanlong
Fossil specimen
Scientific classification
Unrecognized taxon (fix):	Maniraptoromorpha
Family:	Dromaeosauridae
Genus:	Zhenyuanlong Lü & Brusatte, 2015
Species:	Z. suni
Binomial name
Zhenyuanlong suni Lü & Brusatte, 2015

There is just one specimen. It is estimated the skeleton would have been about 165 centimetres (5.41 ft) long when complete. That means the animal was too large to have flown, especially since early flight was, almost certainly, less efficient than the flight of modern birds. It would surely have looked more like a bird than a modern reptile. This is shown in most reconstructions of dinobirds.

This type specimen has a nearly complete skeleton with traces of feathers, including long tail feathers and large wings. This specimen is the first evidence of well-developed feathers in a large, non-flying dromaeosaur. The feathers probably had two functions: temperature control and signalling.

Zhenyuanlong Media

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  Zhenyuanlong compared in size to human

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  Figure 2: The skull of the large-bodied, short-armed Liaoning dromaeosaurid Zhenyuanlong suni gen et. sp.

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  Detail of the preserved integument, showing vaned feathers on tail and wings

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  Figure 3: The postcranium of the large-bodied, short-armed Liaoning dromaeosaurid Zhenyuanlong suni gen et. sp. nov. (JPM-0008).*(A) right forearm; (B) distal hindlimbs; (C) thorax; (D) pelvis; (E) pectoral girdles.

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  Life restoration of Zhenyuanlong depicted using its wings in a threat display, as suggested by the authors

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  Mahakala omnogovae no background

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  Austroraptor Restoration (flipped)

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  Sinornithosaurus (flipped)

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  Zhenyuanlong life restoration (white background)

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  Deinonychus ewilloughby (flipped)