Meet the Mini but Mighty Microraptor
In Meet the Mini but Mighty Microraptor, naturalist Steve Backshall reveals the features that made this small, birdlike dinosaur surprisingly powerful. Plus, watch a real-life demonstration of the Microraptor’s incredible gliding abilities! This video is excerpted from BBC’s Deadly Dinosaurs, a documentary series in which host Steve Backshall is on the hunt for the deadliest animals to have walked the Earth — dinosaurs — exploring features of several species and putting their abilities to the test to reveal the raw power of these creatures.
Lesson Express
Q: Why might this dinosaur have been called “Microraptor"?
A: A raptor is a bird of prey like a hawk or an eagle, and micro means very small.
Q: According to the video, how many wings did Microraptor have?
A: It had 5 wings — on its legs, arms, and tail. Having multiple feathered parts gave Microraptor great gliding abilities.
Q: Why did the narrator have a much lower glide ratio — meaning why wasn’t he able to fly forward more as he dropped?
A: Without feathers or wings, he could not glide well or fly quickly.
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In The Aerial Sinornithosaurus, naturalist Steve Backshall introduces this dinosaur that could take flight! Learn how it hunted along with how scientists were able to decipher the smallest details about this animal, down to the color of its feathers. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Deadly Dinosaurs, a documentary series in which host Steve Backshall is on the hunt for the deadliest animals to have walked the Earth — dinosaurs — exploring features of several species and putting their abilities to the test to reveal the raw power of these creatures.
In The Aerial Sinornithosaurus, naturalist Steve Backshall introduces this dinosaur that could take flight! Learn how it hunted along with how scientists were able to decipher the smallest details about this animal, down to the color of its feathers. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Deadly Dinosaurs, a documentary series in which host Steve Backshall is on the hunt for the deadliest animals to have walked the Earth — dinosaurs — exploring features of several species and putting their abilities to the test to reveal the raw power of these creatures.