Fun Pedopenna Facts For Kids

The Pedopenna (meaning feathered foot) was a type of small new maniraptoran dinosaur which lived in China between the Middle Jurassic period and Late Jurassic period. Its remains were discovered in the Callovian lacustrine in the Daohugou beds, in a large shale in the Tiaojishan Formation of China. There is evidence of this dinosaur species having hollow, bird-like bones and long feathers covering its legs, however, there is not much information available about the actual use of these feathers. The light bones and small size of this bipedal dinosaur species mean it was a quite fast runner and was adept at catching small prey with its curved beak and sharp claws. It also had wings, though these were not adapted for flying, making it a flightless dinosaur.

To learn more about this astounding reptile, read on! For more relatable content, check out these Nqwebasaurus facts and Acristavus facts for kids.

How do you pronounce 'Pedopenna'?

Pedopenna is pronounced as 'ped-oh-pen-na'.

What type of dinosaur was a Pedopenna?

Pedopenna was a genus of small, feathered foot type, new maniraptoran dinosaur which was quite bird-like in appearance.

In which geological period did the Pedopenna roam the Earth?

The Pedopenna dinosaur species roamed the Earth during either the Middle Jurassic age (168 million years ago) and the Late Jurassic period (164-152 million years ago).

When did the Pedopenna become extinct?

The Pedopenna genus mostly went extinct around 152 million years ago, by the end of the Late Jurassic age due to natural disasters and extreme climate change.

Where did a Pedopenna live?

The Pedopenna lived in China, in the Callovian lacustrine Daohugou Beds, where its fossil specimens were found in a large shale.

What was a Pedopenna's habitat?

The Daohugou Beds are a rock formation rich in minerals in China, which is where these dinosaurs lived.

Who did a Pedopenna live with?

Pedopenna dinosaurs, like most other dinosaurs, mostly lived in packs. There are high chances of dinosaurs living and feeding together in groups, and this theory has been developed due to the discovery of a number of fossilized trackways containing a sequence of dinosaur footprints.

How long did a Pedopenna live?

Though the exact lifespan of the Pedopenna dinosaur genus cannot be determined, it has been estimated that they lived quite long lives, akin to those of similar reptiles like crocodiles and turtles. Due to their slow metabolisms and diets, these beasts have been estimated to live between 80-300 years of age.

How did they reproduce?

Pedopenna dinosaurs were oviparous and reproduced by laying eggs. Their mating process was mostly similar to that of modern-day reptiles, with internal fertilization taking place inside the female's body.

What did a Pedopenna look like?

Pedopenna dinosaurs were quite small in size as seen from collected fossil fragments, and were bipedal in nature. They had short, symmetrical wings covered with feathers, which were not adapted for flying. Their thick, clawed feet (also covered with long feathers) were quite strong and well suited for running at high speeds, which made up for the lack of wings. Like birds, they had large beaks with which they caught and ate insects and small creatures. They had feathers covering their entire bodies, though their feet had specially long feathers.

How many bones did a Pedopenna have?

Though the exact number of bones this dinosaur had has not been determined from the recovered fossil specimens, the number of bones possessed by the average dinosaur has been worked out to be around 200, hence the Pedopenna dinosaur most probably had around 200 bones. Mostly leg and foot bones were recovered from the beds.

How did they communicate?

Dinosaurs are known for their loud, earth-shaking roars which are mostly how this dinosaur communicated. They mostly used bellowing roars, grunts of low rumbling noises to communicate, in order to mate or chase away other dinosaurs from their territories. Visual displays were also probably used, with raising of the front legs, stomping, and tail whipping involved.

How big was a Pedopenna?

The Pedopenna dinosaur was quite small, estimated to measure around 3.3 ft (1 m) in length only.

How fast could a Pedopenna move?

Being a small, light dinosaur, the Pedopenna was very light on its feet. Despite having light, bird-like bones and being covered with feathers it is unsure if it was avian in nature. This light skeletal frame was made for very high speeds while running.

How much did a Pedopenna weigh?

The Pedopenna was extremely light in nature due to its hollow, bird-like bones, only weighing around 10 lb (4.5 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

A male dinosaur has been termed a saurus whereas the female dinosaur is known as saura. We do not make any distinction in sex while referring to dinosaurs though.

What would you call a baby Pedopenna?

Baby Pedopenna dinosaurs were called hatchlings, as they hatched from eggs.

What did they eat?

Pedopenna dinosaurs were carnivorous in nature and mostly ate smaller organisms or insects.

How aggressive were they?

Feathered, bird-like dinosaurs could be quite intimidating and scary in nature. Being light of foot, this dinosaur could chase other dinosaurs quite well as well as hunt down prey easily. They were quite vicious due to the presence of their sharp, curved claws and terrifying beaks. They also had small wings which they could have flapped in order to look scary to potential predators or any intruders in their territory.

Did you know...

Pedopenna means 'feathered foot', referring to the long feathers which covered the feet of this new maniraptoran dinosaur. Despite being covered with feathers and having wings, this bird most likely was not able to fly.

Is Pedopenna a Microraptor?

No, the Pedopenna is not a Microraptor but is rather a Maniraptora. Microraptor's possess four wings, whereas the Pedopenna only possessed two. Most Microraptors were also able to fly, with the Pedopenna mostly being unlikely to be able to fly due to the size of its small wings.

Could Pedopenna fly?

No, the Pedopenna was mostly a flightless dinosaur. Despite having light, bird-like bones and feet covered with feathers, these feathers were concluded to be vestigial in nature and merely ornamental, serving no purpose in practicality. They were observed to have symmetrical wings, which were drastically different to asymmetrical wings of other flying dinosaurs, meaning that they were not adapted to fly.

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 Paralititan interesting facts and Claosaurus fun facts for kids pages.

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

Main image by Miracusaurs.

Second image by Matt Martyniuk.