BEIJING: A newly identified species of feathered dinosaur in China is a close cousin of Velociraptor made famous by the Jurassic Park films and is the largest ever discovered to have a well-preserved set of bird-like wings, scientists say.
Palaeontologists working in China unearthed the fossil remains of the winged dinosaur named Zhenyuanlong suni, a close cousin of Velociraptor.
Researchers said its wings – which are very short compared with other dinosaurs in the same family – consisted of multiple layers of large feathers.
They found that the species’ feathers were complex structures made up of fine branches stemming from a central shaft.
Although larger feathered dinosaurs have been identified before, none have possessed such complex wings made up of quill pen-like feathers, the team said.
“This new dinosaur is one of the closest cousins of Velociraptor, but it looks just like a bird,” said Dr Steve Brusatte, of the University of Edinburgh’s School of GeoSciences, who co-authored the study.
