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Sinornithosaurus was a small dromaeosaurid from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning, China. One of the earliest dromaeosaurs preserved with extensive feather impressions, we now know that all dromaeosaurs likely had wings and tail fans. About a meter (3 feet) long as an adult, Sinornithosaurus is also known from a juvenile specimen, NGMC 91, affectionately nicknamed “Dave.”
Sinornithosaurus is a close relative of Microraptor, but unlike Microraptor was clearly not flying. The presence of non-flying microraptorians helps demonstrate that Microraptor is an independent experiment with flight, rather than a progenitor of avian flight.
