Sinornithoides

Taxobox
name = "Sinornithoides"

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image_width = 200px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
superordo = Dinosauria
ordo = Saurischia
subordo = Theropoda
infraordo = Deinonychosauria
familia = Troodontidae
genus = "Sinornithoides"
genus_authority= Russell & Dong, 1994
subdivision_ranks=Species
subdivision=
*"S. youngi" Russell & Dong, 1994 (type)

"Sinornithoides" (meaning "Chinese Bird Form") is a genus of troodontid theropod dinosaur. It lived during the Early Cretaceous (Aptian to Albian stages, around 120 to 100 million years ago). It is one of the smallest known theropods, approximately 1 meter long (3 ft). It lived in China, and probably ate invertebrates and other small prey.

"Sinornithoides youngi", the type species, was described in 1994 by Dale Russell and Dong Zhiming. It is represented by a holotype which is articulated and nearly complete except for the roof of the skull and the cervical and dorsal vertebrae, along with some other referred skeletal elements. The holotype is preserved in much the same roosting position as another troodontid fossil, that of "Mei long", with its snout tucked under its left hand.

References

Russell, D. and Dong, Z. (1994). "A nearly complete skeleton of a new troodontid dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of the Ordos Basin, Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China." ' 30 (10-11); 2163-2173

Currie, P. and Dong, Z. (2001). "New information on Cretaceous troodontids from the People's Republic of China" "'Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences" 38: 1753–1766 DOI: 10.1139/cjes-38-12-1753

External links

* [http://www.users.qwest.net/~jstweet1/troodontidae.htm Troodontidae] at "Thescelosaurus!"