Microraptor (
Greek, μίκρος,
mīkros: "small";
Latin,
raptor: "one who seizes") was a
genus of small, four-winged
paravian (possibly
dromaeosaurid)
dinosaurs. Numerous well-preserved fossil specimens have been recovered from
Liaoning,
China. They date from the early
Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation (
Aptian stage), 125 to 120
million years ago. Three species have been named (
M. zhaoianus,
M. gui, and
M. hanqingi), though further study has suggested that all of them represent variation in a single species, which is properly called
M. zhaoianus.
Cryptovolans, initially described as another four-winged dinosaur, is usually considered to be a synonym of
Microraptor.