Page 33 - Prehistoric Animals

Kum-Sog-Nath-Us

Compsognathus

What is a Dinosaur ?
Known as a Dinosaur

Compsognathus is a genus of a small theropod dino-
saur, that lived in Europe in the Late Jurassic around 160
million years ago. The first fossil found in Germany by, Jo-
seph Oberndorfer, was named, Compsognathus longipes,
in 1891, by Johann A. Wagner. The fossil showed
C.longipes to be around the size of a chicken. However, a
later fossil of the same species, found in France, was com-
parable to that of a large turkey. This led to the conclusion
that the smaller German fossil was that of a juvenile.

C. longipes, is a rare fossil specimen and the only
species of the genus Compsognathus. This rarity does her-
ald a certain amount of close attention and a little contro-
versy. It all started when Oberndorfer refused to say when
he found the fossil and where in Germany he found it. This
led to a great deal of speculation about the sites location.
Then, when Wagener named the species and labelled it a
dinosaur, Oberndorfer fervently disagreed about it being
classified as a dinosaur, claiming it was, "a most curious
form among the lizards". The French find was also brought
under scrutiny when it was thought to be a separate spe-
cies, and it was renamed C. corallestris. It was later found
to be the same species as C. longipes, and the new name, C.
corallestris, was dropped.

Following finds in China of similar small theropod
dinosaurs, clearly showing they had feathers brought the
German and French fossils under close scrutiny, to find out
whether there were signs of feathers. The search was incon-
clusive, but many believe it’s only a matter of time before a
fossil will be found showing, C. longipes, either had feath-
ers or its skin was mainly scaly like your standard dino-
saurs.

Undisputed facts about, C. longipes, are; it had a
small pointed head with small sharp teeth, hollow bones, a
long flexible neck, and it was bipedal. It had the typical bi-
pedal limb structure, with short front limbs and long rear
limbs with large splayed feet. This little Dinosaur was fast.
Some estimate it could reach 30 mph or faster. C. longipes
was also a carnivore. Lodged in the stomach cavity of both
the German and French fossils were the small bones of a
lizard, definite proof that C. longipes was a meat eater.