Compsognathus The image of a towering, fearsome, roaring dinosaur has long captured the imaginations

CompsognathusThe image of a towering, fearsome, roaring dinosaur has long captured the imaginations of kids, sci-fi fans, and scientists alike. However, the diversity of dinosaurs spreads far beyond gigantic favorites like Tyrannosaurus rex. The dinosaur fossil pictured here is Compsognathus longpipes, which was only about one meter long. Despite its small size, this creature has had a big influence on how paleontologists think about ancient and modern life.The first Compsognathus fossil ever found was unearthed in Bavaria in 1859. The specimen was preserved in stunning completeness in limestone from the late Jurassic period. As the first near-complete theropod ever found, this Compsognathus even carried in its stomach the remains of small lizards, a last meal before 150 million years underground. The second well-preserved specimen of this species was discovered in southeastern France in 1971, and several fossil bones and teeth are suspected to be Compsognathus, as well.Unlike its Tyrannosaurus cousins, Compsognathus was a diminutive dinosaur. This meter-long theropod was likely quick and agile, enabling it to hunt small prey. Its forelimbs were small but useful, with three clawed digits that could have helped it grasp onto prey. Skin imprints of close relatives of Compsognathus indicate the presence of simple feathers, suggesting that this chicken-sized dinosaur may have been similarly fluffy.In the same region as that first Compsognathus, paleontologists also uncovered specimens of the bird-like Archaeopteryx, complete with imprints of feathers, and of some flying pterosaurs in the 1860s. Similarities between Compsognathus and Archaeopteryx helped scientists understand the connection between dinosaurs and modern birds. In the century and a half since those first discoveries, analysis of more species has helped solidify the family tree linking birds to dinosaurs.-CeMore info: HowStuffWorks, https://bit.ly/2Qg055RImage: Bavarian State Institute for Paleontology and Historical Geology, Wikimedia Commons,https://bit.ly/2PpRqbF -- source link

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