Regardless of what practical function Zhenyuanlong's wings may have served, its discovery has provided a new glimpse into the diversity of Liaoning dromaeosaurid body plans and to the diversity of the Jehol Biota more generally. Despite the fact that the six Liaoning dromaeosaurids are spread across two formations (Yixian and Jiufotang) and therefore might not have all been contemporaneous, it is still the case that large-bodied, short-armed dromaeosaurids like Zhenyuanlong must have been coexisting with some of the smaller, long-armed ones, much as ecosystems support multiple species of birds today.
