View source for Sinornithosaurus

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{{Infobox_Creature|title=''Sinornithosaurus''|image=Sinornithosaurus.png|name=''Sinornithosaurus c.f. millenii''|time=Early [[Cretaceous]]|diet=Carnivore|appearances=''[[Feathered Dragons]]''}}
'''''Sinornithosaurus''''' is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived in Asia during the Early [[Cretaceous]] period.
==Facts==
Specimens of Sinornithosaurus preserved impressions of feathers both covering the entire body and forming the wings. These feathers were indistinguishable in form from those found on birds from the same geological deposits. Body feathers (outline) were generally between 3-4.5 cm in length and included two types: the first type consists of several filaments joined together in "tufts", similar to modern down feathers. The second type, including those on the arms, was composed of rows of filaments (barbels) joined together along a main shaft (rachis), making them similar in structure to modern bird feathers. However, unlike the wing feathers of flying birds, they did not have secondary branches with small hooks (barbules) that flight feathers have, which allow the flight feathers to form a continuous vane. Some scientists have suggested that the feathers may have allowed Sinornithosaurus to glide short distances after leaping from the trees. 

A 2010 study indicated that ''Sinornithosaurus'' may have had feathers which varied in color significantly across different regions of the body, based on analysis of microscopic cell structures in preserved fossils. A later study in 2012 showed that the colours of ''Sinornithosaurus'' were reddish-brown, yellow, black and grey, which were spread around its body. 

In 2009, a team of scientists led by Empu Gong examined a well-preserved ''Sinornithosaurus'' skull, and noted several features suggesting it was the first-identified venomous dinosaur. Gong and colleagues noted that the unusually long and fang-like mid-jaw (maxillary) teeth had prominent grooves running down the outer surface, towards the rear of the tooth, a feature seen only in venomous animals. They also interpreted a cavity in the jaw bone just above these teeth as the possible site for the soft-tissue venom gland. This is now known to be false, as the site for a venom gland does not exist, and the teeth are long just because they are slightly loosened from the skull. Gong and colleagues suggested that these unique features indicated that ''Sinornithosaurus'' may have specialized in hunting small prey such as birds, using its long fangs to penetrate feathers and envenomate and stun the prey, like a modern snake. They also suggested that the short, slightly forward-pointing teeth at the tip of the jaw could have been used to strip feathers from birds. ''Sinornithosaurus'' used its big body to attack large gliding prey such as the microraptor which is seen in the episode. 
==In [[Planet Dinosaur|''Planet Dinosaur'']]==
===''[[Feathered Dragons (Episode 2)|Feathered Dragons]]''===
An ''Sinornithosaurus'' seen hunting a'' [[Microraptor]]'' as the latter hunts a ''[[Xianglong]]''. When it spots an opportunity, the ''Sinornithosaurus'' attacks the ''Microraptor''. Realizing that it has been turned from predator to prey, the ''Microraptor'' manages to avoid the ''Sinornithosaurus''<nowiki/>'s attack and glides away, with the ''Sinornithosaurus'' in hot pursuit. Then, when the ''Microraptor'' lands below the former on the next tree, both it and the ''Sinornithosaurus'' land on the ground. Once on the ground, the ''Microraptor'' heads for the next tree, but hops instead. The ''Sinornithosaurus'', however, has no difficulty in running across the ground. The ''Microraptor'' then climbs the tree it was heading for, then lands on a branch before taking off, with the ''Sinornithosaurus'' looking on as its quarry glides off.

John Hurt says that ''Sinornithosaurus'' and ''Sinosauropteryx ''have revealed a big mystery - the colors. Through the pigment on the fossils, it was found that ''Sinosauropteryx ''was reddish orange with a series of white stripes along its tail. ''Sinornithosaurus'' had reddish brown, yellow, gray and black feathers- perfect for camouflage. Later, a pack of ''Sinornithosaurus'' manage kill a mother ''[[Jeholosaurus]]'' by biting their venomous teeth into her neck, front foot and back leg.

==Errors==
*''Sinornithosaurus'' may not have been venomous. The elongated teeth were actually loose and the venom grooves are actually the same as other theropods. So this hypothesis may have been based on a badly preserved skull. However, in the same journal issue, Gong and his team submitted a reassessment of the 2010 study, casting doubt on their findings. They admitted that grooved teeth were common among theropods (though they suggested they were really only prevalent among feathered maniraptorans), and hypothesized that venom may have been a primitive trait for all archosaurs if not all reptiles, which was retained in certain lineages. They also disputed the claim that the teeth were significantly out of their sockets in the holotype specimen of ''Sinornithosaurus'', though they admitted that they were not in a completely natural position. Gong's reassessment also claimed that certain undescribed specimens had fully articulated teeth showing a similar length. So it may have been venomous after all. But it is still debated.

==Trivia==
*[[John Hurt]], the narrator of [[Planet Dinosaur Wiki|''Planet Dinosaur'']], said that he had difficulty in pronouncing the creature's name.
[[File:505612-planet-dinosaur.jpg|thumb|Sinornithosaurus attacking a microraptor]]

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[[Category:Dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Cretaceous]]
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[[Category:Sinornithosaurus]]
[[Category:Feathered Dragons creatures]]
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[[Category:Asian creatures]]
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[[Category:Aerial creatures]]
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[[Category:Mesozoic creatures]]
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[[Category:Creatures that caused deaths]]
[[Category:Cretaceous creatures]]
[[Category:Reptiles]]
[[Category:Prehistoric Creatures described in 1999]]
[[Category:Theropods]]
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