Drag to rotate the Sinosauropteryx, scroll or pinch to zoom, and click the head, the body, the tail, or a leg to read what fossils tell us about it. The panel beside the model carries the real figures.
Sinosauropteryx was a small, long-tailed compsognathid with notably tiny arms - turn on the human figure to see how a 1.8 m person compares to an animal barely over a meter long.
The colors and skin here are an artistic reconstruction, though this species is one of the rare cases where fossil evidence actually points to a real color pattern (reddish-brown with a banded tail). This model is not a fossil-accurate skeleton. The measurements in the panel follow published estimates.
Sinosauropteryx 3D Viewer
This page renders Sinosauropteryx prima as a 3D model you can spin in the browser - drag to rotate, scroll or pinch to zoom, toggle a 1.8 m person beside it for scale, and click the head, the body, the tail, or a leg to read a fact about that part.
The first fossil was found in August 1996 in Liaoning Province, China, and the species was named Sinosauropteryx prima later that year by Chinese paleontologists Ji Qiang and Ji Shu'an. It became famous almost immediately: it was the first non-avian dinosaur ever confirmed to carry feather-like filaments (simple, hair-like protofeathers rather than the branched, flight-capable feathers of birds), a discovery that reshaped how paleontologists pictured dinosaurs. Its fossils come from the Yixian Formation, dated to the Early Cretaceous, about 125 million years ago.
Sinosauropteryx is also one of only a handful of dinosaurs whose original color has been read directly from the fossil. Scientists examined the fossilized melanosomes (pigment-bearing structures) preserved in its filaments and found evidence of a reddish-brown (chestnut) body with a banded, ringed tail - a genuine countershading pattern, not a guess. One specimen even preserved a small lizard and mammal remains inside its stomach, making it the only dinosaur fossil known to contain mammal remains. Its tail is unusually long for its body: about 64 vertebrae, more than half of the animal's total length.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Length | about 1.07 m (largest known specimen) - much of it tail |
| Weight | about 0.55 kg |
| When it lived | about 125 Mya (Early Cretaceous) |
| Diet | Carnivore - small lizards and mammals |
| Described | 1996 (Ji Qiang and Ji Shu'an), Yixian Formation, Liaoning, China |
Everything runs on your device with WebGL, so the model works without an account and without sending anything to a server. The skin tone and pattern shown here follow the published melanosome color evidence as closely as a simple 3D model can, but the exact feather texture and fine detail are still an artistic reconstruction - this model is not a fossil-accurate skeleton. For a related small feathered theropod on this site, see the Compsognathus 3D Viewer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Sinosauropteryx famous?
It was the first non-avian dinosaur ever confirmed to carry feather-like filaments, discovered in 1996. It is also one of the very few dinosaurs whose original color has been read directly from fossil evidence, rather than guessed.
Do we actually know what color it was?
For the tail and body, yes, unusually. Scientists studied the fossilized melanosomes preserved in its filaments and found evidence of a reddish-brown (chestnut) body with a banded, ringed tail. Fine feather texture and small details are still an artistic reconstruction.
How big was Sinosauropteryx?
The largest known specimen measures about 1.07 m long and roughly 0.55 kg, though more than half of that length is its unusually long tail (about 64 vertebrae). Turn on the human figure in the viewer to compare scale against a 1.8 m person.
What did it eat?
It was a small carnivore. One fossil specimen preserved a small lizard and mammal remains inside its stomach, making Sinosauropteryx the only dinosaur fossil known to contain mammal remains.
When and where was it found?
The first fossil was found in August 1996 in the Yixian Formation, Liaoning Province, China, and named Sinosauropteryx prima later that year by Chinese paleontologists Ji Qiang and Ji Shu'an. The rock layer dates to the Early Cretaceous, about 125 million years ago.
Do I need to install anything to view it?
No. The model renders in your browser with WebGL - no app, no account, and nothing about your visit is sent to a server. A free-licensed glTF model swaps in for the procedural body after first paint.