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Description
Having to re-draw Anchiornis in light of the discovery of its true colors, I didn't want my old Nearbird drawing to go to waste. With a bit of proportion tweaking, I've repurposed it as the related basal troodontid Mei. The original can be found in my dA scrap book.

I also figured Mei was a good opportunity to illustrate a feature I hinted at in The Retreat: the flexibility of deinonychosaur tails. For too long has the myth that these structures were stiff dowel-rods used only for balance been spread, and for too long have I personally been the one to spread it! Forgot the infamous sinewy-tailed Velociraptor fossil, just look at the holotypes of Mei or Sinornithoides, both in 'sleeping' position with the tail wrapped snugly around the body. Stiffened, yes, but not inflexible.

Description
Having to re-draw Anchiornis in light of the discovery of its true colors, I didn't want my old Nearbird drawing to go to waste. With a bit of proportion tweaking, I've repurposed it as the related basal troodontid Mei. The original can be found in my dA scrap book.

I also figured Mei was a good opportunity to illustrate a feature I hinted at in The Retreat: the flexibility of deinonychosaur tails. For too long has the myth that these structures were stiff dowel-rods used only for balance been spread, and for too long have I personally been the one to spread it! Forgot the infamous sinewy-tailed Velociraptor fossil, just look at the holotypes of Mei or Sinornithoides, both in 'sleeping' position with the tail wrapped snugly around the body. Stiffened, yes, but not inflexible.