Compsognathus

Compsognathus, (a genus Compsognathus), a very small dinosaur dinosaur that lived in Europe during the late Jurassic period (161 million to 146 million years ago)

Compsognathus, one of the best known dinosaurs, grows only as big as chicken, but it is about 60 to 90 cm (2 to 3 feet) in length, including long tails, weight Is about 5 kg. A fast runner, it is built slightly, has long neck and tail, strong back legs and very small forelimb. Of particular interest is the small skeleton stored in the ribs of Compsognathus fossils. This skeleton was mistakenly thought to be the skeleton of the embryo, but further research indicates that it is a lizard and therefore records the predation habits of Compsognathus.

Recently, in the early Cretaceous period (146-100 million years ago), China found stems of closely related animal legs. This fossil called Sinosauropteryx has a filiform structure resembling the thorns of the feather on the skin. This suggests that feathers develop from simpler structures and function as insulators. Since this discovery, several dinosaurs related to other known animal legs were also found in China.

Some of the relatives of Compsognathus, Sinosauropteryx and Sinocalliopteryx, are preserved and covered with simple feathers like fur and some scientists say that Compsognathus is also downed in a similar way thinking about. Therefore, many of the depiction of Compsognathus shows that it is covered with fluffy original feathers. However, Compsognathus fossils do not retain feathers or wing-like covers compared to Archeoptery, but Archeoptery is found in the same sediment. In 2006, Karin Peyer reported the impression of the skin remaining on the cauda from the 13th vertebra. The impression shows small irregular nodules resembling Juravenator's tail and hind leg scales

The lizard mark in the chest of German specimens shows that Compsognathus prey on small vertebrates. Marsh looked at the specimen in 1881 and thought that the small skeleton in the stomach of Compsognathus was an embryo, but in 1903 Franz Nopcsa thought it a lizard. Ostrom considers these remains as belonging to lizards of the genus Bavarisaurus and concluded that because of its long tail and limb ratio he is a fast and flexible runner. This led to the conclusion that its predator Compsognathus had a sharp vision and the ability to quickly accelerate and surpass lizards. Conrad (printing) found that lizards found in the chest of German Compsognathus specimens are a new species of holographic type of Schoenesmahl dyspepsia. The lizard is a piece, and Compsognathus shows that it is necessary to swallow its prey. The stomach contents of French specimens contain unidentified lizards and revolving insects.