For us Americans, it's Thanksgiving tomorrow, and we'll be sitting down to obscenely rich meals centered around huge lumps of protein called turkeys. It's always the same thing, year after year, so I thought I'd just come up with a fantasy alternative, what I'd be cooking for dinner if I had access to Mesozoic fauna. Here's what I think I'd roast up: Sinosauropteryx, a late Jurassic/early Cretaceous theropod.

Sinosauropteryx prima Ji and Ji. a, NIGP 127586, the counterpart of holotype (GMV 2123). b, Skeletal reconstruction of NIGP 127586. The integumentary structures are along the dorsal side and tail and dark pigmentation in the abdominal region might be some soft tissues of viscera.

It's birdlike, what with all those feathery things (that it has feathers seems to be Sinosauropteryx's major claim to fame), and it's about the right size. It's 3-4 feet long, but most of that is taken up with the tail. I think you could lop that off, and along with the neck, make a nice meaty gravy. Or just coil it around the roasted torso, as an interesting visual display. The drumsticks are going to be impressive; unfortunately, if you like the white meat, there isn't going to be much breast to go around, although there would be ribs instead.

And here's another great serving suggestion:

Mmmm-mmmm. Lizard stuffing! With leathery eggs!

I'm also thinking it really ought to be served like Chinese duck, with the head still on, and maybe wrapped around and tucked under the forelimb. Imagine what a thrill Aunt Edna would get when she reaches for a "wing", and first sees that it has long claws, and then notices the fanged skull under it!

I'm getting hungry already.

Chen P-J, Dong Z-M, Zhen S-N (1998) An exceptionally well-preserved theropod dinosaur from the Yixian Formation of China. Nature 391:147-152.