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The Feathered Yeti

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Xiaotingia zhengi, the new(ish) species of archaeoptergid or troodontid. A four-winged feathered dinosaur, in any case.

It's based on the skeletal by Jaime A. Headden (here: [link]). If these animals did not yet have a keratinous beak, as the case might well be, there's nothing preventing them to be feathered right to the tip of their noses.

These paravians are often depicted with a thin feather covering clearly showing the shape of their skeleton, but modern birds are so tiny under their massive feather coating that looking them from the outside gives very little idea about their actual anatomy. I wanted to depict Xiaotingia with a bird-like feathering, which ended up turning the tiny, dainty animal into a ball of fluff.

I had never seen anyone depict a completely feathered early paravian, and gave it a try. Right from the first sketch it looked like the Abominable Snowman.

Also, I didn't give Xiaotingia a background simply because I can't imagine how it might have lived. It could not fly, it could not run well, and according to experts, it could not climb either.

Did I already mention these things were weird?

Digital painting with Photoshop CS5.
Image size
2204x1175px 674.9 KB
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Comments44
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I didn't know there were more four-winged dinosaurs besides Microraptor! (Even if Xiaotingia were klutzes who defied sense by ever surviving past infancy.) Your art is both likeable and awesomely-researched.