Pedopenna

foot feather

• pedo- · Latin · foot (from Latin pes, pedis)
• penna · Latin · feather

The name combines the Latin words for "foot" (pes, pedis) and "feather" (penna). It refers to the long, stiff feathers preserved on the hind foot and lower leg of the fossil. These feathers are among the earliest known examples of leg plumage in paravian dinosaurs.

Named by

Xu and Zhang

Year named

2005

Period

Middle to Late Jurassic

Stages

Callovian – Oxfordian

Found in

Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China (Jiulongshan Formation)

Known only from a partial pair of hind limbs with feathers preserved. The type species is Pedopenna daohugouensis. It is a small feathered theropod, usually placed among the Paraves. Its exact relationships and the precise age of the Daohugou beds are debated.