Sinosauropteryx in Series

When Ji Qiang and Ji Shu'An (that's their first names AFTER their family names, just so people don't get confused) first described Sinosauropteryx prima, it was based on a peculiar fossil that a quarry worker brought to them from Liaoning, China. The fossil was flattened, the bones were highly fragmented, but there was a fine halo of fibers surrounding it. Later analysis would show these fibers to be hollow, and they covered the head and arms, and were visible as traces along the tail in what appeared to be undulating waves.

Peculiarities of the fossil abounded, from the tiny arms yet huge hands, and the amazingly long tail. Later, a second specimen would follow, larger than the first, though there were few differences. Close inspection showed that one of these specimens possessed small ovoid lumps near the pelvis, and it was dubbed a "pregnant" dinosaur in what is one of the first specimens to be indicated as a true female dinosaur (though ingestion has not been ruled out). Later, a third specimen would be found, but oddities of the skull and skeleton seem to indicate it is not, in fact Sinosauropteryx prima, as the tail is much shorter comparatively, the legs more robust, and the skull seems similar to the older Huaxiagnathus, including an arched lachrymal.

Currently, while the details of the skeleton are often tricky, the specimens are important for their "dinofuzz" integument, and this currently occupies the thoughts of studies on the critters.