TYPE SPECIES:
• C. zoui Ji Q., Currie, Norell & Ji S., 1998 "Vice-Premier Zou Jiahua's tail feathers"
  OTHER SPECIES:
• C. dongi Zhou & Wang, 2000 "Dong's tail feathers"

Animalia
Vertebrata
Tetrapoda
Sauropsida
Archosauromorpha
Ornithodira
Dinosauria
Theropoda
Tetanurae
Coelurosauria

Caudipteryx is one of the few non-avian dinosaurs for which feathery impressions are known. The only others come from the same site and have also only recently been discovered. Caudipteryx specimens were at first mistaken for Protarchaeopteryx specimens.

As the name implies, Caudipteryx had a special assemblage of feathers on its tail, possibly for ornamental purposes. There are bands of dark and light on the tail feathers. These may be remnants of the animal's pigmentation, something that is hardly ever preserved.

Caudipteryx had very short forelimbs and symmetrical feathers, meaning that it did not fly. It legs were long, perhaps for running and/or wading. A recent study has suggested that it was capable of perching.

The original cladistic analysis placed Caudipteryx as a basal avialan, but many now think it was a more basal maniraptor, probably related to oviraptorosaurs. The original analysis did not allow for the possibility that it was not eumaniraptoran.

It is possible that Caudipteryx dongi is a synonym of C. zoui. It is also possible that IVPP V 12340 and BPM 0001 belong to a new species.