What is Scipionyx?
{{taxobox | name = ''Scipionyx'' | fossil_range = [[Upper Cretaceous]], 113 mya | image = 9121 - Milano, Museo storia naturale - Scipionyx samniticus - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto 22-Apr-2007a.jpg | image_width = 250px | image_caption = Fossil specimen, [[Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano]] | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]] | classis = [[Reptile|Reptilia]] | superordo = [[Dinosaur]]ia | ordo = [[Saurischia]] | subordo = [[Theropoda]] | family = [[Compsognathidae]] | genus = '''''Scipionyx''''' | species = '''''S. samniticus''''' | binomial = ''Scipionyx samniticus'' | binomial_authority= Sasso & Signore, 1998 }} [[File:Scipionyx reconstruction.jpg|thumb|A supposed reconstruction of a Scipionyx samniticus]] '''''Scipionyx samniticus''''' is one of the most important recent [[dinosaur]] finds. It is a tiny [[theropod]] (meat-eater) fossil found in [[Cretaceous]] limestone in southern [[Italy]] near [[Naples]]. Although it was unearthed thirty years ago in 1981, its true importance was not realized until 1994. It is a very important specimen in that it has fossilized remains of many of its internal organs and muscles. This type of detail is rare in fossils since the soft tissues from an animal do not usually fossilize; they almost always rot before mineral replacement can take place. This new fossil will yield a lot of information about dinosaurs' anatomy and physiology as it is studied. The fossil is a theropod, perhaps a compsognathid (related to ''[[Compsognathus]]''). It is a hatchling 9.5 inches (24 cm) long. It is from 113 million years ago (during the Cretaceous period) and has been named ''Scipionyx samniticus''. During the Cretaceous period it lived near a shallow lagoon. {{biology-stub}} [[Category:Cretaceous dinosaurs]] [[Category:Dinosaurs of Europe]] [[Category:Coelurosaurs]]