A new compsognathid dinosaur, Sinocalliopteryx gigas gen. et sp. nov., is erected based on a complete skeleton from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, northeastern China. It shares the features with Huaxiagnathus orientalis in having a manus as long as the humerus plus radius, very large and subequally long manual claws I and H, and reduced olecranon process on the ulna. But it differs from Huaxiagnathus orientalis in having the much large size, a very long maxillary process of premaxilla not extending the vertical level of the maxillary antorbital fossa, and the proportionally longer ulna and so on. Sinocalliopteryx gigas gen. et sp. nov. represents the largest species among the known compsognathid dinosaurs, suggesting the tendency of the body enlargement in compsognathids to some extent. The long filamentous integuments are attached to the whole body of this compsognathid, confirming that such integuments evolved firstly in the basal coelurosaurs. This new giant compsognathid was a fierce carnivorous theropod, as shown further by an incomplete dromaeosaurid leg inside its abdominal cavity.
The postcranial skeleton of a new specimen of the long-tailed lizard Dalinghosaurus longidigitus was excavated from the Yixian Formation in Lingyuan, western Liaoning. The new specimen provides more anatomical information about this species, especially about the anterior dorsal vertebrae, shoulder girdle and forelimbs. This lizard can be included within the clade Scleroglossa by its 27 or more presacrals, moderately long pubis, and gently notched distal end of tibia. But the detailed systematic position for this taxon remains undetermined. The features of the much longer hind limbs and pes compared with forelimbs and manus, metatarsal Ⅳ longer than Ⅲ, pedal phalanges robust, and penultimate phalanx not longer than other phalanges etc. suggest that this lizard was a running and ground swelling animal.
Jinfengopteryx is a newly uncovered Archaeopteryx-like avialan bird outside Germany, which was found from the Jehol Biota of northern Hebei in northeastern China. It shares many characters only with Archaeopteryx by the possession of three fenestrae in the antorbital cavity, 23 caudal vertebrae and long tail feathers attached to all the caudal vertebrae. But the former differs from the latter in the relatively short and high preorbital region of skull, more and closely packed teeth, much shorter forelimb compared to hindlimb. Such differences indicate Jinfengopteryx is even slightly more primitive than Archaeopteryx, although both birds can be placed at the root position of the avialan tree based on cladistic analysis. Shenzhouraptor is suggested to be slightly more advanced than Jinfengopteryx ＋ Archaeopteryx, supported by some derived features in teeth, shoulder girdles and forelimbs such as the reduction of tooth number, dorsolaterally directed glenoid facet, very long forelimb and comparatively short manus. Meanwhile, the tail of Shenzhouraptor shows more primitive characters than those of Jinfengopteryx and Archaeopteryx, e.g., the strikingly longer tail composed of more caudal vertebrae and the long tail feathers attached only to distal caudal segments. The mixed primitive and advanced characters reveal the evident mosaic evolution among long-tailed avialan birds.
