Scansoriopteryx (Greek for "climbing wing"); pronounced SCAN-sore-ee-OP-ter-ixHabitat:
Woodlands of Asia
Historical Period:
Early Cretaceous (130-125 million years ago
Size and Weight:
About one foot long and one pound
Diet:
Insects
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Small size; extended claws on each hand
About Scansoriopteryx:
Like the feathered theropod to which it's most closely related--Epidendrosaurus--Scansoriopteryx is thought to have spent most of its life high up in trees, where it poked out grubs from underneath bark with its unusually long middle fingers. However, it's not clear if this dino-bird was covered with feathers, and it appears to have been incapable of flight. So far, this genus is known only by the fossil of a single juvenile; future discoveries should shed further light on its appearance and behavior.
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