Cretaceous
Sinornithosaurus
Sinornithosaurus millenii
The catalogue presents Sinornithosaurus as a carnivore member of Microraptoria that lived during the Cretaceous, between 125.0–122.0 Ma. Its estimated range is 0.9–1.2 m in length and 1.5–3.0 kg in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Yixian Formation, Liaoning, China. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Sinornithosaurus, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Xu et al. (1999).
The PBDB places it in Microraptorinae, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Microraptoria.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Microraptoria
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range runs from the Barremian to the Aptian.
The PBDB catalogues 2 occurrences, with material from the Yixian Formation (2). Provenance: China.
The catalogue records the holotype as IVPP V12811 and the type locality as “Yixian Formation, Liaoning, China”.
- IVPP V12811
- Yixian Formation, Liaoning, China
The catalogue's reference measurements are 0.9–1.2 m in length and 1.5–3.0 kg in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 0.9-1.2 m
- 1.5-3.0 kg
The record gathers 26 bibliographic references registered in the PBDB, listed below.
Where it lived
Fossil occurrences on today’s map and in the tectonic reconstruction.
Positions reconstructed by PBDB/GPlates, not observed; this is not an exact habitat map.
Artistic 3D reconstruction
There is no approved species-specific 3D model yet. Generic anatomy will not be presented as if it were evidence.
Physical Specifications
- Length
- 0.9–1.2 m
- Weight
- 1.5–3.0 kg
- Period
- Cretaceous
- Time range
- 125.0–122.0 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 1999
- Described by
- Xu Xing et al.
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Saurischia
- Family
- Microraptoria
- Genus
- Sinornithosaurus
- Species
- S. millenii
Data status
Taxonomic name matched to PBDB and checked on 2026-08-08.
Taxonomic linkage does not automatically validate size, mass, behaviour or appearance.
- Type specimen
- IVPP V12811
- Type locality
- Yixian Formation, Liaoning, China