Fun Caihong Facts For Kids

Caihong juji is a tiny, bird-like rainbow dinosaur that existed during the Jurassic era in what is now China.

This dinosaur was approximately the size of a duck and had a bony crest on its head as well as long, ribbon-like feathers.

Micro structures in the nearly complete fossil discovered in Hebei Province revealed that it had iridescent feathers, especially on its head, neck, and breast, with colors that shimmered and changed in the light.

The feathers on its head, tail, and wings were iridescent, with hues that shimmered and changed in the light, according to an examination of its fossilized feathers making this one of the oldest known evidence of such a feature.

The presence of conspicuous lacrimal crests, larger pennaceous feathers on the forelimbs and back limbs, and tail feathers with huge asymmetrical vanes separate this dinosaur from superficially similar taxa such as Eosinopteryx and Anchiornis.

The nanostructures of the fossils identified as melanosomes have been shown to be comparable to the organelles that create dazzling iridescent hues in contemporary birds, making this one of the earliest known examples of such a characteristic.

For more relatable content, check out these Harpactognathus facts and Austroraptor facts for kids.

Caihong Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Caihong'?

The Caihong rainbow dinosaur is pronounced as' Kai-hon-g'. It is from China and is likely to have 10 neck vertebrae, 13 back vertebrae, five sacral vertebrae, and 26 tail vertebrae.

What type of dinosaur was a Caihong?

Caihong juji microraptor belongs to the Deinonychosauria, a theropod group that includes the dromaeosaurids and troodontids.

In which geological period did the Caihong roam the Earth?

Paleontological research indicates that the new dinosaur existed about 140 million years ago, during the mid-Late Jurassic period. Other research tells that Caihong juji lived approximately 161 million years ago. The Late Jurassic period lasted 161-146 million years ago, which is believed to be the time when the Caihong existed in nature.

When did the Caihong become extinct?

Caihong juji is a genus from China of tiny paravian theropod dinosaurs that existed in the Late Jurassic era.

Where did a Caihong live?

Caihong juji was a tiny, bird-like rainbow dinosaur that lived during the Jurassic era in what is now China.

What was a Caihong's habitat?

This rainbow dinosaur might have been fossilized in a forest surrounded by mountains and small lakes. Given that it has feathers on its rear limbs, which are unsuitable for sprinting on the ground, it is likely that it resided in trees.

Who did a Caihong live with?

Caihong juji would have lived in nature alongside other dinosaurs and animals present at the time. Although there is no record to show if they lived in packs.

How long did a Caihong live?

The average armored dinosaurs' lifetime was estimated to be between 20-80 years. The lifetime of various dinosaurs differed.

How did they reproduce?

Details on the mating rites have yet to be found and are very unlikely. Dinosaurs built nests in burrows or bed scrapes.

They deposited massive eggs with a strong layered shell there.

All of the eggs were amniotic in nature, which means that the embryo was protected by a membrane that also supplied oxygen and other nutrients to the fetus.

It has also been revealed that after laying the eggs, female dinosaurs underwent a physiological transformation in which they developed an exterior bone that delivered the calcium needed to create robust eggshells.

Caihong Fun Facts

What did a Caihong look like?

Based on melanosomes in the fossil, paleontologists have partially recreated the feathered dinosaur's original feather hues. It mimics the iridescent feathers of hummingbirds to a considerable extent.

More astonishingly, the new dinosaur, a paravian theropod, changes its plumage hues when observed from different angles. The fossil is enveloped by feathers, with just the nose and claws visible.

These feathers are not imprints, but rather remnants of the bird's natural plumage. The breaking of the slab and counter slab showed the plumage's intricate layering feature. The density of visible shafts and barbs is so high that identifying individual feathers is difficult.

The current state of preservation may not accurately reflect their historical condition and location. Its features are extremely similar to some early birds such as Archaeopteryx, only slightly different.

How many bones did a Caihong have?

Caihong juji is likely to have 10 neck vertebrae, 13 back vertebrae, five sacral vertebrae, and 26 tail vertebrae. Pleurocoels do not exist in the dorsal vertebrae of the spine of this feathered dinosaur. With a length of 7 in (178 mm), the tail is short.

How did they communicate?

Dinosaurs most likely communicated visually as well as verbally. Defensive posture, courting activity, and territorial conflicts were most likely accompanied by both verbal and visual displays.

Hoots and hollers, cracking noises, dancing and song, and even symbolic love cries performed with colorful plumage were probably part of such exchanges. Clues from the fossil record and contemporary species linked to the ancient creature, such as bird and crocodile, suggest how the ancient creatures may have communicated.

How big was a Caihong?

Caihong juji was a small duck-sized bird with a bony crest on its head and long, ribbon-like feathers. It was believed to be 16 in (40.6 cm) in length. It also had a short tail. Its tail length is believed to be 7 in (178 mm).

How fast could a Caihong fly?

Imagining gigantic dinosaurs soaring through the skies seems to defy logic. However, due to its comparable physical characteristics to birds, the rainbow dinosaur could lift off for a short flight.

The wingspan of Caihong dinosaur is not known. Caihongs' tail feathers have asymmetrical vanes, which birds use to guide when flying, implying that tail feathers, rather than arm feathers, were originally used for aerodynamic movement.

How much did a Caihong weigh?

Caihong juji was a little dinosaur-like modern bird. It was believed to be 1.047 lb (475 g) in weight.

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no special names designated to male and female dinosaurs. However, these creatures exhibited sexual dimorphism, which meant that men and females differed in shape, size, and color.

What would you call a baby Caihong?

Because they hatched from eggs, we may apply the generic word that is used for all reptiles to dinosaurs as well. A hatchling or a nestling is what a baby dinosaur may be called. This dinosaur had a bird-like body.

What did they eat?

The Caihong juji diet, like other Anchiornithids, most likely subsisted mostly on tiny animals and insects, which were abundant in its habitat.

How aggressive were they?

The rainbow dinosaur, Caihong juji, like other theropods, may have eaten small animals and reptiles. Despite its rooster-size and gorgeously feathered appearance, its half-moon-shaped teeth and pointed fingers imply it was vicious.

Did you know...

Caihong juji had a skull measuring 2.7 in (68.6 mm) in length. It is low and elongated, superficially similar to that of the Velociraptor, and only slightly shorter than the femur.

Caihong's preserved feathers were found included nanostructures that were examined and interpreted as melanosomes. They resembled organelles seen in existing birds that create a black iridescent hue.

Other feathers on the head, breast, and tail base maintain flattened sheets of platelet-like melanosomes that are identical in form to those that generate vividly colored iridescent colors in current hummingbird feathers. However, because these structures seem solid and lack air bubbles, they are more similar to trumpeter melanosomes than hummingbird melanosomes.

Other feathers found on the head, breast, and tail base have flattened sheets of platelet-like melanosomes. Caihong is the oldest known evidence of platelet-like melanosomes.

Why is it called rainbow dinosaur?

The dinosaur’s full scientific name, Caihong juji, means 'rainbow with a big crest'. Microscopic features in the almost complete fossil found in Hebei Province revealed that it had iridescent feathers, especially on its head, neck, and breast, with colors that shimmered and changed in the light, similar to hummingbird feathers.

Due to this feature, it is called a rainbow dinosaur and is considered the most colorful dinosaur.

What's unique about the Caihong's wings?

Caihong juji is noteworthy because it contains both old and modern traits, in addition to brightening up Jurassic ecosystems from 161 million years ago.

The bony crest is a characteristic often seen in dinosaurs from previous ages, and its neck feathers exhibit signs of melanosomes, which may indicate the first known occurrence of iridescence comparable to that observed in a variety of modern hummingbird species.

Scientists believe the dinosaur's head and breast were covered in iridescent feathers based on its wonderfully preserved bones.

Caihong juji is also the first to have asymmetrical feathers, which modern birds utilize to navigate when flying.

However, this dinosaur was unable to fly, and its feathers were most likely employed to attract mates and keep warm. Caihong juji's asymmetrical feathers were on its tail, whereas contemporary birds' are on their wingtips.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other dinosaurs from our Chungkingosaurus interesting facts and Yinlong surprising facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Caihong coloring pages.

Second image by I do dinosaurs.