Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Palaeontology

Dinosaur up in the air

A new feathered dinosaur from China, belonging to an obscure and strange carnivorous group, bears a seemingly bony wrist structure that may have had a role in flight. See Letter p.70

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Purchase on Springer Link

Instant access to full article PDF

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: The three known members of the Scansoriopterygidae.

Lida Xing

Notes

  1. See all news & views

References

  1. Chen, P., Dong, Z. & Zhen, S. Nature 391, 147–152 (1998).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Ji, Q. & Ji, S. Chin. Geol. 238, 38–41 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Long, J. & Schouten, P. Feathered Dinosaurs: The Origin of Birds (Oxford Univ. Press, 2008).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Xu, X. et al. Nature 521, 70–73 (2015).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Agnolín, F. L. & Novas, F. E. Avian Ancestors: A Review of the Phylogenetic Relationships of the Theropods Unenlagiidae, Microraptoria, Anchiornis and Scansoriopterygidae (Springer, 2013).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  6. Padian, K. & Chiappe, L. in The Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs (eds Currie, P. J. & Padian, K.) 71–79 (Academic, 1997).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Padian, K. & Dial, K. P. Nature 438, E3; http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature04354 (2005).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Rayner, J. M. V. J. Exp. Biol. 80, 17–54 (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Pennycuick, C. J. Animal Flight (Arnold, 1972).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kevin Padian.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Padian, K. Dinosaur up in the air. Nature 521, 40–41 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14392

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14392

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing