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Basal tyrannosauroids from China and evidence for protofeathers in tyrannosauroids

Author

Listed:
  • Xing Xu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    American Museum of Natural History)

  • Mark A. Norell

    (American Museum of Natural History)

  • Xuewen Kuang

    (Tianjin Museum of Natural History)

  • Xiaolin Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Qi Zhao

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Chengkai Jia

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Abstract

Tyrannosauroids are one of the last and the most successful large-bodied predatory dinosaur groups1,2,3,4,5, but their early history remains poorly understood. Here we report a new basal tyrannosauroid from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China, which is small and gracile and has relatively long arms with three-fingered hands. The new taxon is the earliest known unquestionable tyrannosauroid found so far6,7,8,9. It shows a mosaic of characters, including a derived cranial structure resembling that of derived tyrannosauroids1,2,3,4,5 and a primitive postcranial skeleton similar to basal coelurosaurians. One of the specimens also preserves a filamentous integumentary covering similar to that of other coelurosaurian theropods from western Liaoning. This provides the first direct fossil evidence that tyrannosauroids had protofeathers.

Suggested Citation

  • Xing Xu & Mark A. Norell & Xuewen Kuang & Xiaolin Wang & Qi Zhao & Chengkai Jia, 2004. "Basal tyrannosauroids from China and evidence for protofeathers in tyrannosauroids," Nature, Nature, vol. 431(7009), pages 680-684, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:431:y:2004:i:7009:d:10.1038_nature02855
    DOI: 10.1038/nature02855
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