Epidexipteryx
EP-ee-dex-IP-ter-ix /ˌɛpiˈdɛksɪptərɪks/
Accepted genus
display feather (or "arrow-showing wing/feather")
- epi · Greek · upon / on
- deixis · Greek · display, showing
- pteryx · Greek · wing, feather
The name comes from Greek roots meaning "display feather" (roughly "showing feather"). It refers to the four long, ribbon-like tail feathers of the only known specimen. These feathers were probably used for display rather than flight. The small, feathered theropod was described from Inner Mongolia, China.
- Named by
- Zhang et al.
- Year named
- 2008
- Period
- Middle to Late Jurassic
- Found in
- Daohugou Beds (Jiulongshan Formation), Inner Mongolia, China
A small, feathered scansoriopterygid theropod. The type species is Epidexipteryx hui. Its age is usually given as Middle to Late Jurassic (about 165–152 million years ago), and the exact dating of the Daohugou Beds is debated.