“The Four-Winged Dinosaur of China”
Binomial Microraptor gui · MY-kroh-RAP-tor
Early Cretaceous - 125-120 Ma
IllustrationMicroraptor fossil records in Fossil Atlas are mapped as selected modern discovery locations, with 3 source-backed records currently shown. Liaoning, China, especially Jiufotang Formation and Jehol Biota context in the current atlas. Key mapped formations in the current dataset include Jiufotang. These pins are fossil record locations, not a complete ancient habitat map.
Microraptor was a small feathered dromaeosaur from Early Cretaceous China. Fossil Atlas links it to Jiufotang Formation and Jehol Biota records while keeping fossil locations separate from ancient habitat maps.
Drawn true to scale on a metre ruler.
Length
measured0.8 m · 2.6 ft
Largest known specimens
Height
measured0.3 m (1 ft)
Body mass
estimate1 kg · 2 lb
Typical adult
Top speed
estimate32 km/h · 20 mph
Modelled, debated
Microraptor was a tiny dromaeosaur from the Jiufotang Formation of Liaoning, China, with flight feathers on all four limbs. Whether it flew, glided, or some combination has been debated since its description. Its gut contents are well documented across multiple specimens, showing it ate fish, birds, and small mammals, making it one of the most dietary-documented small dinosaurs known.
Four wings
Long flight feathers on both the arms and the legs, an arrangement without a clear modern analog. Whether it flew like a biplane or glided from trees is still debated.
Diet evidence
Multiple specimens preserve gut contents: fish, a small bird, and a small eutherian mammal have each been found inside different Microraptor specimens. It was an active and versatile predator.
Iridescent feathers
Analysis of preserved melanosomes in the feathers suggests Microraptor had iridescent black plumage similar to a modern starling.
Size
Among the smallest dromaeosaurs, at around 0.5 to 1 kg. Much smaller than movie raptors and closer to a crow or pigeon in body mass.
Position of this animal’s known range across 252 million years of the Mesozoic and beyond.
125-120 million years ago
Microraptor preserved long feathers on both arms and legs.
Its fossil evidence is important for feathered-dinosaur and early flight discussions.
The Jiufotang records connect the page to Chinese Jehol Biota fossils.
The first Microraptor specimens were described by Xu Xing and colleagues from Liaoning in 2000, but the four-winged anatomy was fully recognised in a landmark 2003 paper. The Jiufotang Formation's Jehol Biota has produced dozens of Microraptor specimens, making it one of the most densely represented small dinosaurs in the fossil record. The quality of preservation in these fine-grained lake sediments allowed researchers to analyse melanosomes and reconstruct plumage colour, a technique that has since been applied to other feathered dinosaurs.
Animals known from the same deposits and time as Microraptor.
Sinornithosaurus
A feathered dromaeosaur from the same Jiufotang deposits.
Confuciusornis
An early bird from the same Jehol Biota, and possibly an occasional prey item based on bird bones found inside a Microraptor specimen.
Psittacosaurus
A small ceratopsian from the same general region and time period.
Other members of Dromaeosauridae.
Pins show selected fossil records for Microraptor; use them as modern discovery evidence, not a complete range map. Modern fossil discovery map: pins show where selected fossil and specimen records were found today, not ancient Earth positions. What does this mean?
Specimen evidence
No open specimen media or embeddable model assets are available in the local enrichment data yet.
Microraptor is represented here by selected fossil records from liaoning, china, especially jiufotang formation and jehol biota context in the current atlas. Fossil Atlas maps those records as modern discovery locations.
No. The map shows modern fossil discovery locations from selected records. Ancient habitat and paleogeographic reconstructions are separate questions.
The current Fossil Atlas records include Jiufotang. Formation coverage depends on the selected dataset and may not be complete.
Yes. Use the expedition card generator to turn the Microraptor map and specimen profile into a shareable card.
Selected fossil records from PBDB and museum biodiversity aggregators. This is not a complete fossil count by country; source labels and confidence notes help distinguish canonical paleobiology records from specimen-media records.
Reconstruction images are labeled illustrations and do not represent fossil evidence. Size, speed, and bite-force figures are typical published estimates and remain subject to revision as new specimens are described.
Maps use curated PBDB, museum, and specimen-source records with visible caveats.
Pins show where fossils were found or reported today, not exact ancient habitat positions.
Artwork is labeled separately from specimen photos, maps, and source records.
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