Available for editorial, museum & print licensing — inquiries & rates →
Microraptor is a small dromaeosaurid from the Early Cretaceous of China. Known from dozens of specimens, including extensive feather preservation, Microraptor had long feathers on both its arms and legs, causing it to be referred to as a “four-winged” dinosaur. While the aerodynamic role (if any) of the hindleg wings” is still debated, it seems clear that Microraptor and some of its close relatives experimented with an early form of flight, separate from the ancestors of modern birds. Laser-stimulated fluorescence has helped illuminate the skin texture and muscle size in life, while fossilized melanosomes in the feathers indicate Microraptor had glossy, black, iridescent plumage.
