This small carnivorous dinosaur is known only through two specimens, found in Germany and France. The preservation of these specimens is fragmentary so the number of fingers on the forelegs, for example, is still a topic of debate.The longtail is an unusual feature, probably functioning as a stabilisor when the animal was running.The structure of the Compsognathus was similar to the one of the contemporary Archaeopteryx, and probably its body was covered with hair or plumes. The German sample probably belonged to a young specimen, while the French one was an adult. The preservation of the french specimen facilitated the construction of a three dimensional replica of the dinosaur skeleton, using computer aided molding techniques.