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MattMart — Caudipteryx zoui

Published: 2010-07-18 04:32:23 +0000 UTC; Views: 4915; Favourites: 49; Downloads: 2
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Description This field guide entry is based largely on my old Caudipteryx drawing, found here: [link]

For his version, I updated the proportions based on the excellent skeletals by [link] . By overlaying the skeletal with photos of the holotype fossil and checking this against measurements in the paper, I was also able to get a decently proportioned set of wings and tail feathers.

Though it's not described in the paper (only pointed out in a caption), Caudipteryx is technically the first non-avian dinosaur for which color patterns were known, as color banding is evident on the tail feathers. Similar banding is present on the secondary (yeah, it has secondaries, apparently!) wing feathers of C. dongi. I can't see any secondaries in the zoui type specimen and the wing feathers don't seem to have much if any banding. The wings of zoui are also proportionally shorter than C. dongi or similarly sized specimens of Similicaudipteryx (aka C. sp.), so whether or not you think the minor skeletal proportion differences are enough to separate zoui and dongi, I think a decent case can be made for them not being conspecific based on the feathers alone.

Research: [link] [link] and feather proportions after the photographs in
* Zhou, Z., Wang, X., Zhang, F., and Xu, X. (2000). "Important features of Caudipteryx - Evidence from two nearly complete new specimens." Vertebrata Palasiatica, 38(4): 241–254
and
* Ji, Q., Currie, P.J., Norell, M.A., and Ji, S. (1998). "Two feathered dinosaurs from northeastern China." Nature, 393(6687): 753–761.
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Comments: 6

Oaglor [2013-02-16 08:30:52 +0000 UTC]

It's about time people should stop coloring the things blue.

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EmperorDinobot [2011-01-01 08:27:37 +0000 UTC]

I love saying 'caudipterygidae' outloud.

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MattMart In reply to EmperorDinobot [2011-01-01 23:59:24 +0000 UTC]

Haha, yup but unfortunately, due to a Latin grammar error that squeaked past just after the ICZN guidelines that used to regulate such things expired, the proper name for the group is the less-fun Caudipteridae.

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EmperorDinobot In reply to MattMart [2011-01-02 05:04:17 +0000 UTC]

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RickRaptor105 [2010-07-25 20:59:20 +0000 UTC]

Nice! Will you also draw Caudipteryx dongi for comparison?

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MattMart In reply to RickRaptor105 [2010-07-25 21:57:57 +0000 UTC]

Already in progress: [link]

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