Caudipteryx

tail feather

• cauda · Latin · tail
• pteryx · Greek · wing or feather

The name combines the Latin word for "tail" with the Greek word for "wing" or "feather". It refers to the fan of long, symmetrical feathers on the tip of the tail. Caudipteryx was a small, feathered, bird-like oviraptorosaur, and its discovery helped show that feathers evolved in non-flying dinosaurs.

Named by

Ji et al.

Year named

1998

Period

Early Cretaceous

Stage

Aptian

Found in

Yixian Formation, Liaoning Province, China

A non-avian theropod, usually classified as an oviraptorosaur. Two species are generally recognised: C. zoui (the type species) and C. dongi.