TheropodaCompsognathidaeBSP AS I 563

Compsognathus longipes

Compsognathus longipes skeletal reconstruction, left lateral view, reconstructed length ~0.85 m.
Scale bar = 10 centimeters
Taxon
Compsognathus longipes Wagner, 1859
Specimen
BSP AS I 563
Reconstructed length
85 cm (3 feet)
View
Left lateral
Drawing
© Scott Hartman
Drawn
2004, revised 2022
Clade
  1. Theropoda
  2. Tetanurae
  3. Coelurosauria
  4. Compsognathidae

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Compsognathus is a small, coelurosaurian theropod from the Late Jurassic of Germany and France. At around 1.25 meters (4 feet) and weighing less than a house cat (less than 1 kg / 2 pounds) it has historically been famous for being a tiny dinosaur among a group long known for its giants. While not covered in vaned feathers, Compsognathus almost certainly was covered in dense, fuzzy structures, as seen in its close relative, Sinosauropteryx. Presumably a hunter of small game, lizard skeletons were preserved in the gut contents of both specimens, recording the last meals of at least these two individuals.

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The evidence

What the specimen actually preserves

Known skeletal material of Compsognathus longipes: preserved elements shown in white against a black body silhouette.
Known material of BSP AS I 563: elements preserved in the specimen are shown in white; unpreserved regions are left as black silhouette. Drawn 2004, revised 2026
Compsognathus longipes — The larger French specimen (the former "Compsognathus corallestris"), ~1.25 m, shown for comparison with the German type.
The larger French specimen (the former "Compsognathus corallestris"), ~1.25 m, shown for comparison with the German type. Drawn 2004, revised 2026