What comparison was made between the size of Xiaotingia zhengi and Archaeopteryx?
Answer
They were comparable in sheer size, estimated around 60 centimeters long
The text notes that in terms of physical dimensions, Xiaotingia zhengi was modest, with an estimated length of about 60 centimeters and a weight around 0.82 kilograms. This size profile made it highly comparable to the famously preserved fossil, Archaeopteryx. This similarity in body size between two key transitional forms further complicated attempts to cleanly separate them based on size alone and suggested that being small and feathered was a common characteristic among primitive Paravians, rather than strictly a bird-defining trait.
Related Questions
What specific Deinonychosaur characteristic did Xiaotingia zhengi retain?From which specific geological formation was the fossil Xiaotingia zhengi unearthed?What comparison was made between the size of Xiaotingia zhengi and Archaeopteryx?What anatomical proportion in Xiaotingia hinted at musculature necessary for flapping locomotion?What radical suggestion did the initial phylogenetic analysis imply regarding the diet of primitive birds?Which shared skeletal feature supported the initial grouping of Archaeopteryx with Deinonychosaurs?Which scientist voiced reservations, suggesting the conclusions about Archaeopteryx demotion were over-hyped?What characteristic of Xiaotingia zhengi's feathers was noted on its femur and suggested possible hindlimb wing use?What inherent risk in evolutionary study does relying too heavily on Archaeopteryx demonstrate?What core difficulty in classification does the contrasting anatomy of Xiaotingia force researchers to confront?