Sinosauropteryx prima Ji & Ji, 1996 feathered theropod dinosaur (holotype, part) from the Cretaceous of China (NGMC 2123, National Geological Museum of China, Beijing, China).

This is Sinosauropteryx prima, the first ever discovered & most famous feathered dinosaur. A relative abundance of feathered dinosaurs and early birds has been found in the Jehol Group of northeastern China. The most famous & most frequently illustrated Sinosauropteryx specimen is the holotype, which consists of part & counterpart slabs (each is housed at separate institutions in China). The dark fringe running down the neck, back & tail represents feathers. This animal was a relatively small theropod dinosaur.

Classification: Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Theropoda, Compsognathidae

Stratigraphy: lower Yixian Formation, Yehol Group, near-lowermost Cretaceous

Locality: Sihetun Quarry, Shangyuan, Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, northeastern China

By the way, this is my photo of the actual holotype slab, which was on temporary display at Yale University's Peabody Museum of Natural History (New Haven, Connecticut, USA) in 1999.