Compsognathus

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Dinosaurs

iCompsognathus Fossil range: Late Jurassic
Compsognathus head in Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
Conservation status
Extinct (fossil)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Superorder: Dinosauria Order: Saurischia Suborder: Theropoda Infraorder: Coelurosauria Family: Compsognathidae Genus: Compsognathus
Binomial name
Compsognathus longipes Wagner, 1859

Compsognathus /kɒmp'sɒg.næ.θʊs/ meaning 'elegant jaw' ( Greek kompsos/κομψος meaning 'elegant', 'refined' or 'dainty' and gnathos/γναθος meaning 'jaw') was a small bipedal carnivorous theropod dinosaur, the size of a chicken that lived in the late Jurassic Period of what is now Europe, with fossil finds from Germany, France and perhaps Portugal.

For many years, Compsognathus was widely known as the smallest dinosaur, however several others are now known to have been smaller. These include Microraptor, Parvicursor and Caenagnathasia.

Discovery and species

Compsognathus cast in Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

Compsognathus is known from two nearly-complete skeletons, one from Germany that is 90 cm long and another from France that is 125 cm. Other skeletons indicate a size range from 70-140 cm. Teeth from Portugal have also been assigned to the genus. Although the French specimen was originally described as a separate species (Compsognathus corallestris), both it and the German specimen are now thought to be Compsognathus longipes. A partial foot had also been referred to Compsognathus but this has subsequently been disproven.

Paleobiology

Compsognathus may have had only two digits on the forelimb, since no bones of a third digit have been found. However, the 'hands' are disarticulated, so this is still uncertain. It appears that Compsognathus preyed on small vertebrates, since remains of the lizard Bavarisaurus have been found in its thoracic cavity.

Compsognathus model in Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

For many years, Compsognathus was the only well-known small theropod and was thus compared to Archaeopteryx as a dinosaurian ancestor or relative of birds. It is now known that many other kinds of dinosaurs were more closely related to birds, including Segnosaurus, Oviraptor and Deinonychus.

Feathers

It is often argued that Compsognathus lacked feathers, because none are preserved with either skeleton, while Archaeopteryx, which was found in the same sediments, sometimes preserves feathers. However, the only feathers always preserved on Archaeopteryx are the large ones on the wings and tail. The short feathers which cover the body are rarely preserved. A relative of Compsognathus, Sinosauropteryx, only has short feathers, so it is possible Compsognathus was feathered too.

In popular culture

Compsognathus appeared in the movies The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park 3 (erroneously identified in the former as "Compsognathus triassicus", combining the genus name of Compsognathus with the species name of Procompsognathus, the small carnivore featured in the Jurassic Park novels). In The Lost World, the "compys" were shown as being very social animals that hunted in packs. A pack of these animals attacked a girl, wounding her, and another pack killed a man who had fallen down a cliff. In Jurassic Park 3 they were not as vicious, seen only briefly eating insects. They are prominantly featured in various Jurassic Park video games, such as the PC game Jurassic Park: Dino Defender and the first SNES Jurassic Park game.

They are also featured in the Turok: Dinosaur Hunter series of video games, which also portrays them as having a pack behaviour.