Epidexipteryx

The sixth of my illustrations for mine and ~Agahnim's evolution book, Epidexipteryx hui. If you're unfamiliar with our book, feel free to check out the previous five illustrations: Jinfengopteryx, Microraptor, Archaeopteryx, Velociraptor, and Sinornithosaurus.

Epidexipteryx is a fairly recent discovery from the mid or upper Jurassic-age Daohugou Beds of Inner Mongolia, China, and is a maniraptoran of the same family as Epidendrosaurus, on which the speculative third digit is based.

What makes Epidexipteryx unique is its tail, which sported several long, flat feathers anchored to a skeletal structure similar in nature to the modern pygostyle of birds. The tail feathers appear very primitive and completely lack barbs, and instead are like long, flat sheets of keratin supported by a central rachis.

Thanks again to ~Agahnim and the Gondolendians for their anatomy critiques and discussion.

Conté crayon on drawing paper.

Only two more to go.