Microraptor was a small, feathered dinosaur with a unique four-winged body plan. It lived during the Early Cretaceous period in ancient forests of what is now China. Its feathered limbs suggest it could glide or perhaps even fly, making it an exceptional example of the evolutionary link between dinosaurs and birds.

Microraptor is native to the Early Cretaceous period, approximately 120 million years ago, in what is now the Liaoning Province of northeastern China. This region is part of the Jehol Biota, a well-known fossil site that provides a wealth of information about the flora and fauna of that time period.

During the Early Cretaceous, the region that is now Liaoning Province experienced a temperate climate with distinct seasons. The environment was characterized by a mix of forests, including coniferous and deciduous trees, and open areas. Periodic volcanic activity in the region created a landscape with volcanic ash layers that contributed to the exceptional preservation of fossils.

Microraptor was a small, feathered, four-winged dinosaur that occupied a unique ecological niche as both an arboreal and gliding or possibly flying predator. It likely inhabited forested areas where it could climb trees and glide from one to another, preying on small animals such as insects, lizards, and possibly small mammals and birds. Its adaptations for tree-climbing and gliding, such as its feathered limbs, suggest a lifestyle that was closely tied to the forest canopy.