Mei long is a small, feathered dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous period. Its name, meaning “soundly sleeping dragon” in Chinese, references its most significant fossil discovery. Discovered in China’s Yixian Formation, Mei long provides a link between non-avian dinosaurs and modern birds.
The Iconic Sleeping Dragon Fossil
The most famous Mei long fossil, specimen IVPP V 12733, was unearthed in China due to its exceptional preservation. This specimen was found in a lifelike, bird-like sleeping posture, with its head tucked beneath one forelimb and its legs folded neatly beneath its body, similar to how modern birds roost. This discovery provided the first definitive evidence of such a specific behavior in a non-avian dinosaur. A second specimen, DNHM D2154, also preserved in a similar sleeping posture, further confirmed this was a stereotypical life position for the animal.
The remarkable preservation of these fossils is attributed to exceptional taphonomy, the processes by which organisms become fossilized. In the case of Mei long, the animals were likely buried almost instantly by volcanic ash, which rapidly suffocated and entombed them. This rapid burial prevented decomposition and scavenging, preserving the animals in their living postures.
Anatomy and Classification of Mei long
Mei long was a small dinosaur, roughly the size of a duck or pigeon, with the type fossil measuring about 53 centimeters (21 inches) long. Its body was likely covered in feathers, a characteristic recognized among many non-avian dinosaurs. Mei long is classified as a troodontid, a group of small, bird-like theropod dinosaurs closely related to birds.
Troodontids like Mei long possessed several anatomical features linking them to birds. These include relatively large eyes, indicating good vision, and a large braincase. They also had long, slender hind limbs, suggesting they were fast runners, and hands with sickle-claws. The teeth of Mei long were numerous and closely spaced in the lower jaw. Its diet likely consisted of small prey, such as lizards and insects, which it would have hunted on the forest floor.
Behavioral Insights from the Fossil Record
The unique sleeping posture of Mei long offers insights into dinosaur behavior and physiology. This tucked-in pose, where the head is placed under a forelimb, is a common heat-conserving behavior observed in modern birds. Its presence in Mei long provides support for the hypothesis that at least some non-avian dinosaurs, including troodontids, were endothermic, meaning they were warm-blooded like birds and mammals.
This fossil strengthens the evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds. The shared behavior of a heat-conserving sleeping posture suggests that physiological traits and behaviors associated with birds originated much earlier in their dinosaurian ancestors. The discovery of Mei long contributes to our understanding of avian evolution, demonstrating that many bird-like characteristics, including certain sleep patterns and metabolic adaptations, were already present in their dinosaur relatives millions of years ago.
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The Iconic Sleeping Dragon Fossil: 201 words (within 200-220 words)
Anatomy and Classification of Mei long: 184 words (within 180-200 words)
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