FC Archaeornithoides

    This is part of the Flaming Cliffs New Years Surprise. Archaeornithoides is a small Maniraptoriform Coelurosaur from the Campanian of the Flaming Cliffs locality. At 1-2 feet long, it is amongst the smallest of non avian dinosaurs. The original authors of the 1993 paper (Elżanowski & Wellnhofer) decribed it as being closely affiliated with Avialae. Revisions by the Bever and Norell (2009) paper revealed that there is no certain placement near Avialae. Other ideas of its placement which seemed the most reasonable were: juvenile troodontid fitting somehwere near Byronosaurus or Saurornithoides; being an adult specimen also being affiliated with the previously mentioned Troodontids. I went with option B. After comparing the holotype maxilla and dentary, along with the bit of the lacrimal to those of Saurornithoides and Byronosaurus (along with a few non troodontid maniraptoriforms), I concluded that Saurornithoides would be a best fit (of course taking a few speculative liberties).
 
    I used Jaime Headden's 2009 Saurornithoides skeletal as a reference point for the body of the animal. I modified a few proportions to better fit an animal of its size. I then used some stock images of a few desert birds to look at what general color palette I would be working with. Al colors are original. This was probably an animal that fed on small mammals, other dinosaurs and insects.

References:

- Elżanowski, A. Wellnhoffer, P. (1993). "Skull of Archaeornithoides From the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia". earth.geology.yale.edu/~ajs/1993/11.1993.08Elzanowski.pdf . American Journal of Science 

- Bever, G.S. Norell, M.A. (2009). "The perinate skull of Byronosaurus (Troodontidae) with observations on the cranial ontogeny of paravian theropods". American Museum Novitates.

- Headden, J. (2009) Saurornithoides junior  Qilong