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China’s Feathered Dinosaurs
Caudipteryx
(Caw-DIP-ter-iks = “tail feather”)
120 to 150 million years before present
Yixian Formation
Sihetun, Liaoning Province, China
National Geological Museum of China
CLOSE WINDOW
The feathers may have played a role in courtship, but they could also have enhanced mobility and
stability in a two-legged (bipedal) runner.
Although the tail and hand feathers of Caudipteryx could not support flight, their distinctive shape
and position on the body is no less striking. Even small increases in lifting surfaces, so long as they
are sufficiently far from—and well-placed relative to—the center of gravity, can dramatically improve
stability and maneuverability in a bipedal runner.