← Rex's Notes

Microraptor

Four wings. Iridescent black. The size of a crow.

Said: MY-kroh-RAP-tor

Era: Cretaceous · 120 million years ago

Diet: Carnivore

Habitat: Forested wetlands of east Asia

Size: about the size of a crow.

What it was like

Microraptor had wings on both its arms and its legs, four wings in total. It probably glided between trees like a flying squirrel.

What we know now

Melanosome analysis revealed an iridescent black plumage similar to a modern starling, the first dinosaur for which color has been determined with reasonable confidence. Stomach contents include mammals, birds, lizards, and fish, suggesting a generalist predator. Whether it could power-flap or only glide remains an active debate.

Notes

1. One of the smallest known non-avian dinosaurs.
2. Discovered in 2000; over 300 specimens known.
3. Ankle joints suggest it could perch in trees.