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Caudipteridae
Caudipteridae is a family of oviraptorosaurian dinosaurs known from the Early Cretaceous of China. Found in the Yixian and Jiufotang Formations, the group existed between 125 and 120 million years ago. Distinguishing characteristics of this group have been indicated as including a unique dagger-shaped pygostyle (the bone at the tip of the tail in birds, used to anchor a "fan" of feathers).He, T., Wang, X.-L., and Zhou, Z.-H. (2008). "A new genus and species of caudipterid dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of western Liaoning, China. The anatomical characteristics Caudipterids were highly uniform for most oviraptorians. of " ''Vertebrata PalAsiatica'', 46(3): 178-189. In 2015, the group was defined as "the most inclusive clade containing '' Caudipteryx zoui'' but not ''Oviraptor philoceratops'' and ''Caenagnathus collinsi''". The first caudipterid described was ''Caudipteryx zoui'' (named in 1998),Ji, Q., Currie, P.J., Norell, M.A., and Ji, S. (1998). "Two fe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oviraptorosaurs
Oviraptorosaurs ("egg thief lizards") are a group of feathered maniraptoran dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period of what are now Asia and North America. They are distinct for their characteristically short, beaked, parrot-like skulls, with or without bony crests atop the head. They ranged in size from ''Caudipteryx'', which was the size of a turkey, to the 8-meter-long, 1.4-ton ''Gigantoraptor''. The group (along with all maniraptoran dinosaurs) is close to the ancestry of birds. Some researchers such as Maryanska ''et al'' (2002) and Osmólska ''et al.'' (2004) have proposed that they may represent primitive flightless birds.Osmólska, Halszka, Currie, Philip J., Brasbold, Rinchen (2004) "The Dinosauria" Weishampel, Dodson, Osmólska. "Chapter 8 Oviraptorosauria" University of California Press. The most complete oviraptorosaur specimens have been found in Asia. The North American oviraptorosaur record is sparse.Varricchio, D. J. 2001. Late Cretaceous oviraptorosaur (Theropoda) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Similicaudipteryx Yixianensis
''Similicaudipteryx'', meaning "similar to ''Caudipteryx''" (which itself means "tail feather"), is a genus of theropod dinosaur of the family Caudipteridae. Discovery and naming In 2007 the find of a new caudipterid was reported. In 2008 the new genus ''Similicaudipteryx'', with as type species ''Similicaudipteryx yixianensis'', was named and described by He Tao, Wang Xiaolin and Zhou Zonghe. The generic name, derived from Latin ''similis'', "resembling", refers to its similarity to the closely related ''Caudipteryx''. The specific name refers to its provenance from Yixian County. Presently, ''S. yixianensis'' is the only species named in the genus. The holotype specimen, IVPP V 12556, was recovered from the Jiufotang Formation of northeastern China, dating to the early Cretaceous Period middle Aptian stage, about 120 million years ago or perhaps early Albian stage, about 112 million years old. It consists of a nearly complete skeleton of an adult individual compressed on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Similicaudipteryx
''Similicaudipteryx'', meaning "similar to ''Caudipteryx''" (which itself means "tail feather"), is a genus of theropod dinosaur of the family Caudipteridae. Discovery and naming In 2007 the find of a new caudipterid was reported. In 2008 the new genus ''Similicaudipteryx'', with as type species ''Similicaudipteryx yixianensis'', was named and described by He Tao, Wang Xiaolin and Zhou Zonghe. The generic name, derived from Latin ''similis'', "resembling", refers to its similarity to the closely related ''Caudipteryx''. The specific name refers to its provenance from Yixian County. Presently, ''S. yixianensis'' is the only species named in the genus. The holotype specimen, IVPP V 12556, was recovered from the Jiufotang Formation of northeastern China, dating to the early Cretaceous Period middle Aptian stage, about 120 million years ago or perhaps early Albian stage, about 112 million years old. It consists of a nearly complete skeleton of an adult individual compressed on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oviraptorosauria
Oviraptorosaurs ("egg thief lizards") are a group of feathered maniraptoran dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period of what are now Asia and North America. They are distinct for their characteristically short, beaked, parrot-like skulls, with or without bony crests atop the head. They ranged in size from ''Caudipteryx'', which was the size of a turkey, to the 8-meter-long, 1.4-ton ''Gigantoraptor''. The group (along with all maniraptoran dinosaurs) is close to the ancestry of birds. Some researchers such as Maryanska ''et al'' (2002) and Osmólska ''et al.'' (2004) have proposed that they may represent primitive flightless birds.Osmólska, Halszka, Currie, Philip J., Brasbold, Rinchen (2004) "The Dinosauria" Weishampel, Dodson, Osmólska. "Chapter 8 Oviraptorosauria" University of California Press. The most complete oviraptorosaur specimens have been found in Asia. The North American oviraptorosaur record is sparse.Varricchio, D. J. 2001. Late Cretaceous oviraptorosaur (Theropoda) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xingtianosaurus
''Xingtianosaurus'' is an extinct genus of oviraptorosaurian theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now China during the Early Cretaceous. The type and only species, ''X. ganqi'', was named and described in 2019. It was placed in the Caudipteridae, alongside ''Caudipteryx'' and ''Similicaudipteryx''. Discovery and naming The holotype specimen of ''Xingtianosaurus ganqi'', IVPP V13390, was recovered in the Dakangpu Beds of the Yixian Formation in Liaoning Province, China. The name ''Xingtianosaurus'' refers to Xingtian, a Chinese deity who continued to fight after being decapitated. This name references the skull-less holotype. The epithet ''ganqi'' refers to the weapon, a battle axe, that Xingtian wielded. Description The holotype specimen is almost complete, missing only the skull, several vertebrae and the coracoid A coracoid (from Greek κόραξ, ''koraks'', raven) is a paired bone which is part of the shoulder assembly in all vertebrates except therian mammals (marsupial ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is the subject of active research. They became the dominant terrestrial vertebrates after the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event 201.3 mya; their dominance continued throughout the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. The fossil record shows that birds are feathered dinosaurs, having evolved from earlier theropods during the Late Jurassic epoch, and are the only dinosaur lineage known to have survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event approximately 66 mya. Dinosaurs can therefore be divided into avian dinosaurs—birds—and the extinct non-avian dinosaurs, which are all dinosaurs other than birds. Dinosaurs are varied from taxonomic, morphological and ecological standpoints. Birds, at over 10,700 living species, are among ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pygostyle
Pygostyle describes a skeletal condition in which the final few caudal vertebrae are fused into a single ossification, supporting the tail feathers and musculature. In modern birds, the rectrices attach to these. The pygostyle is the main component of the uropygium, a structure colloquially known as the bishop's nose, parson's nose, pope's nose, or sultan's nose. This is the fleshy protuberance visible at the posterior end of a bird (most commonly a chicken or turkey) that has been dressed for cooking. It has a swollen appearance because it also contains the uropygial gland that produces preen oil. Evolution Pygostyles probably began to evolve very early in the Cretaceous period, perhaps 140 – 130 million years ago. The earliest known species to have evolved a pygostyle were members of the Confuciusornithidae. The structure provided an evolutionary advantage, as a completely mobile tail as found in species such as '' Archaeopteryx'' is detrimental to its use for flight contro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Timeline Of Oviraptorosaur Research
This timeline of oviraptorosaur research is a chronological listing of events in the history of paleontology focused on the oviraptorosaurs, a group of beaked, bird-like theropod dinosaurs. The early history of oviraptorosaur paleontology is characterized by taxonomic confusion due to the unusual characteristics of these dinosaurs. When initially described in 1924 ''Oviraptor'' itself was thought to be a member of the Ornithomimidae, popularly known as the "ostrich" dinosaurs, because both taxa share toothless beaks. Early caenagnathid oviraptorosaur discoveries like ''Caenagnathus'' itself were also incorrectly classified at the time, having been misidentified as birds. The hypothesis that caenagnathids were birds was questioned as early as 1956 by Romer, but not corrected until Osmolska formally reclassified them as dinosaurs in 1976. Meanwhile, the classification of ''Oviraptor'' as an ornithomimid persisted unquestioned by researchers like Romer and Steel until the early ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caudipteryx Dongi
''Caudipteryx'' (which means "tail feather") is a genus of peacock-sized theropod dinosaurs that lived in the Barremian age of the early Cretaceous (about 124.6 million years ago). They were feathered and extremely birdlike in their overall appearance, to the point that some paleontologists think it was a bird. Two species have been described: ''C. zoui'' (the type species), in 1998, and ''C. dongi'', in 2000. ''Caudipteryx'' fossils were first discovered in the Yixian Formation of the Sihetun area of Liaoning Province, northeastern China in 1997. Description ''Caudipteryx'', like many other maniraptorans, has a mix of reptile- and bird-like anatomical features.Witmer, L.M. (2005). “The Debate on Avian Ancestry; Phylogeny, Function and Fossils”, ''Mesozoic Birds: Above the Heads of Dinosaurs'' : 3–30. It had a short, boxy skull with a beak-like snout that retained only a few tapered teeth in the front of the upper jaw. It had a stout trunk, long legs and was probably a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Caenagnathus Collinsi
''Caenagnathus'' ('recent jaw') is a genus of caenagnathid oviraptorosaurian dinosaur from the late Cretaceous period (Campanian stage; ~75 million years ago). It is known from partial remains including lower jaws, a tail vertebra, hand bones, and hind limbs, all found in the Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta, Canada. ''Caenagnathus'' measured about long and weighed about . Description ''Caenagnathus'' was a large oviraptorosaurian, with some specimens suggesting it achieved sizes comparable to its relative ''Anzu''. Like ''Anzu'', it had a toothless lower beak that was shallower in depth than those of elmisaurines. It also shared with ''Anzu'' less gracile proportions than those of elmisaurines. Like all oviraptorosaurs, it would most likely have possessed a coat of feathers. Classification This dinosaur has a confusing history. In 1936, a set of jaws (CMN 8776) were found, and later given the name ''Caenagnathus'', meaning 'recent jaw'; they were first thought to be tho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oviraptor Philoceratops
''Oviraptor'' (; ) is a genus of oviraptorid dinosaur that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous period. The first remains were collected from the Djadokhta Formation of Mongolia in 1923 during a paleontological expedition led by Roy Chapman Andrews, and in the following year the genus and type species ''Oviraptor philoceratops'' were named by Henry Fairfield Osborn. The genus name refers to the initial thought of egg-stealing habits, and the specific name was intended to reinforce this view indicating a preference over ceratopsian eggs. Despite the fact that numerous specimens have been referred to the genus, ''Oviraptor'' is only known from a single partial skeleton regarded as the holotype, as well as a nest of about fifteen eggs and several small fragments from a juvenile. ''Oviraptor'' was a rather small feathered oviraptorid, estimated at long with a weight between . It had a wide lower jaw with a skull that likely had a crest. Both upper and lower jaws were toothles ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Early Cretaceous
The Early Cretaceous ( geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphic name), is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 145 Ma to 100.5 Ma. Geology Proposals for the exact age of the Barremian-Aptian boundary ranged from 126 to 117 Ma until recently (as of 2019), but based on drillholes in Svalbard the defining early Aptian Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a (OAE1a) was carbon isotope dated to 123.1±0.3 Ma, limiting the possible range for the boundary to c. 122–121 Ma. There is a possible link between this anoxic event and a series of Early Cretaceous large igneous provinces (LIP). The Ontong Java-Manihiki-Hikurangi large igneous province, emplaced in the South Pacific at c. 120 Ma, is by far the largest LIP in Earth's history. The Ontong Java Plateau today covers an area of 1,860,000 km2. In the Indian Ocean another LIP began to form at c. 120 Ma, the Kerguelen P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
