Caudipteryx was a genus of peacock-sized theropod dinosaurs from the late Jurassic to early Cretaceous periods. In 1997, fossils were discovered in the Yixian Formation of the Sihetun area of Liaoning Province in northeastern China. The name means \"tail feather\" in reference to the tail feather that the dinosaur may have fanned out for display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caudipteryx was one of several types of feathered dinosaurs; its body, short arms and tail were covered with feathers, which probably helped keep it warm. These dinosaurs had short forelimbs, large eyes and long, sharp, pointed teeth, and they had deep, bulbous roots. However, its forelimbs were too short and were symmetrical, indicating that it did not fly. It ran on two long legs and was probably a fast runner given its long legs and light body. The prominent feature of Caudipteryx was its tail with a generous fan of feathers up to 6 to 8 inches long. The colors of the feather fossils were dark and light, giving us an idea of what Caudipteryx looked like. Caudipteryx was omnivorous. It lived in a wetland area, perhaps hunting small fish and amphibians with its long, sharp teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It reached 100 cm and weighed between 6 and 7 kg, about the size of a turkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n