Scientists have unearthed a spectacularly preserved, nearly complete fossil in northeast China of a feathered dinosaur with wings like those of a bird, although they doubt the strange creature could fly. The researchers on Thursday said the fast-running meat-eater was about 6 feet (1.8 meters) long and covered with simple hair-like feathers over much of its body, with large, quill-like feathers on its wings and long tail. The largest-known dinosaur with wings, it lived about 125 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period. Considering its mouth full of sharp teeth and its overall oddness, University of Edinburgh paleontologist Steve Brusatte dubbed the dinosaur, named Zhenyuanlong suni, a “fluffy feathered poodle from hell.” A member of a group of dinosaurs called raptors closely related to birds, it was a cousin of Velociraptor, although that dinosaur, featured inaccurately in the “Jurassic Park” films as much bigger than it was, lived about 40-50 million years later. Read more http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/scienc...hered-poodle-from-hell-1.1886581#.VaikEvl3nIU
