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A small, basal oviraptorosaurian theropod from the Early Cretaceous of eastern China, Caudipteryx was one of the first dinosaurs of the modern era found with clear feather impressions. Although wing feathers were present, the fan of tail feathers was particularly well preserved, leading to the name Caudipteryx, which translates to “tail feather”. The tiny arms of this and other basal oviraptorosaurs with vaned feathers helped show that wings evolved prior to flight in non-avian dinosaurs.
