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Chongmingia
''Chongmingia'' is a genus of basal Avialae, avialan belonging to Pygostylia that lived during the Aptian. It was found in the Jiufotang Formation in Chaoyang, Liaoning, Chaoyang, China, and was described by Wang ''et al''., 2016. The name comes from the word ''Chongming'', referring to a Chinese mythological bird, and the specific epithet is in honor of Mr. Xiaoting Zheng. Taxonomy The species was first described in 2015; the description appeared in the pages of ''Scientific Reports''. Only the holotype, extracted from the Jehol Biota sediments from the Early Cretaceous period in north-east China, was discovered. ''Chongmingia zhengi'' represents a developmental line unknown at the time of description, it illustrates the diversity of traits in contemporary birds. The ''furcula'' in ''C. zhengi'' was stiff, which indicates their poor performance and the need to use more force on the fly. On the other hand, the relatively long forelimb and well-developed chest and shoulder Keel (bi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jinguofortisidae
Jinguofortisidae is an extinct family of early pygostylian avialans known from the Early Cretaceous, found in northern China. Description The Jinguofortisidae are distinguished from other non- ornithothoracine avialans by the following features: the scapula and coracoid fused into a scapulocoracoid; a boomeranged-shaped furcula without a hypocleidium; proximal margin of humerus concave centrally; deltopectoral crest large and not perforated; minor metacarpal markedly bowed caudally; alular digit terminating at the level of the distal end of major metacarpal; and proximal phalanx of the major digit longer than the intermediate phalanx. Phylogeny Wang et al. (2018) erected Jinguofortisidae after finding '' Chongmingia'' (previously considered Avebrevicauda ''incertae sedis'' by Wang et al. 2016) to be sister to their new taxon ''Jinguofortis''. In 2023, a third jinguofortisid was described by Li ''et al''. They recovered their new taxon, '' Cratonavis'', as the sister taxon to ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jinguofortis
''Jinguofortis'' is a genus of primitive avialan (bird) belonging to the clade Pygostylia that lived during the Valanginian stage of the Early Cretaceous. It was found in the Dabeigou Formation in northeastern China, and isotope dating from the samples overlying the bird-bearing horizon is 127 million years ago. Description ''Jinguofortis'' is notable for having a combination of primitive and advanced traits. Some of these are typical of stemward avialans (further from modern birds) while others occur in crownward avialans (closer to modern birds). The scapula and coracoid bones of the shoulder girdle are fused into a single bone, the scapulocoracoid. A fused scapulocoracoid is a plesiomorphic (primitive) feature which is not present in modern birds. This plesiomorphic state is found in pterosaurs and non-avian dinosaurs, including coelurosaurian theropods ancestral to birds. However, these bones become unfused in the famed early avialan ''Archaeopteryx'', and in more c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cratonavis
''Cratonavis'' (meaning "Craton bird") is an extinct genus of pygostylian avialian from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Liaoning Province, China. The genus contains a single species, ''C. zhui'', known from a complete skeleton. Discovery and naming The holotype specimen, IVPP V31106, was discovered in sediments of the Jiufotang Formation, dated to the Aptian age of the early Cretaceous period, near the Xiaotaizi village, (Jianchang County) of Liaoning Province, northeastern China. This specimen consists of a complete, articulated individual with preserved feathers. In 2023, Li Zhiheng, Wang Min, Thomas A. Stidham, and Zhou Zhonghe described ''Cratonavis zhui'', a new genus and species of jinguofortisid, based on these fossil remains. The generic name, "''Cratonavis''", combines a reference to the North China Craton with the Latin word "avis", meaning "bird". The specific name, "''zhui''", honors the Chinese geologist Zhu Rixiang, who has studied the d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avialae
Avialae ("bird wings") is a clade containing the only living dinosaurs, the birds. It is usually defined as all theropod dinosaurs more closely related to birds (Aves) than to deinonychosaurs, though alternative definitions are occasionally used (see below). ''Archaeopteryx lithographica'', from the late Jurassic Period Solnhofen Formation of Germany, is possibly the earliest known avialan which may have had the capability of powered flight, though it might have been a deinonychosaur instead. Several older (but non flight-capable) avialans are known from the late Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation of China, dated to about 160 million years ago. Definition Most researchers define Avialae as branch-based clade, though definitions vary. Many authors have used a definition similar to "all theropods closer to birds than to ''Deinonychus''."Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; Osmólska, Halszka (eds.) (2004). ''The Dinosauria'', Second Edition. University of California Press., 861 pp. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sapeornis
''Sapeornis'' is a monotypic genus of avialan which lived during the early Cretaceous period ( late Barremian to early Aptian, roughly 125-120 mya). ''Sapeornis'' contains only one species, ''Sapeornis chaoyangensis''. Description ''Sapeornis'' was large for an early avialan, about long in life, excluding the tail feathers. The hand of ''Sapeornis'' was far more derived than that of ''Archaeopteryx''. It had three fingers, the outer ones with two and the middle one with three phalanges, and a well-fused carpometacarpus. Its arms were about half again as long as the legs, suggesting a large wing area. On the other hand, its shoulder girdle was apparently ill-adapted to flapping flight and its furcula was unusual, with a hypocleidum similar to more advanced avialans but a general anatomy even more basal than in ''Archaeopteryx''. The humerus was large and bore holes, apparently to save weight, as in the Confuciusornithidae. The skull has a handful of teeth in the upper jawtip ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aptian Genera
The Aptian is an age in the geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early or Lower Cretaceous Epoch or Series and encompasses the time from 121.4 ± 1.0 Ma to 113.0 ± 1.0 Ma (million years ago), approximately. The Aptian succeeds the Barremian and precedes the Albian, all part of the Lower/Early Cretaceous. The Aptian partly overlaps the upper part of the Western European Urgonian Stage. The Selli Event, also known as OAE1a, was one of two oceanic anoxic events in the Cretaceous Period, which occurred around 120 Ma and lasted approximately 1 to 1.3 million years. The Aptian extinction was a minor extinction event hypothesized to have occurred around 116 to 117 Ma.Archangelsky, Sergio.The Ticó Flora (Patagonia) and the Aptian Extinction Event" ''Acta Paleobotanica'' 41(2), 2001, pp. 115-22. Stratigraphic definitions The Aptian was named after the small city of Apt in the Provence region of France, which is also known for its cry ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fossil Taxa Described In 2016
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved in amber, hair, petrified wood and DNA remnants. The totality of fossils is known as the ''fossil record''. Paleontology is the study of fossils: their age, method of formation, and evolutionary significance. Specimens are usually considered to be fossils if they are over 10,000 years old. The oldest fossils are around 3.48 billion years old to 4.1 billion years old. Early edition, published online before print. The observation in the 19th century that certain fossils were associated with certain rock strata led to the recognition of a geological timescale and the relative ages of different fossils. The development of radiometric dating techniques in the early 20th century allowed scientists to quantitatively measure the abso ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Early Cretaceous Birds Of Asia
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Early may refer to: History * The beginning or oldest part of a defined historical period, as opposed to middle or late periods, e.g.: ** Early Christianity ** Early modern Europe Places in the United States * Early, Iowa * Early, Texas * Early Branch, a stream in Missouri * Early County, Georgia Other uses * ''Early'' (Scritti Politti album), 2005 * ''Early'' (A Certain Ratio album), 2002 * Early (name) * Early effect, an effect in transistor physics * Early Records, a record label * the early part of the morning See also * Earley (other) Earley is a town in England. Earley may also refer to: * Earley (surname), a list of people with the surname Earley * Earley (given name), a variant of the given name Earlene * Earley Lake, a lake in Minnesota *Earley parser, an algorithm *Earley ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Enantiornithes
The Enantiornithes, also known as enantiornithines or enantiornitheans in literature, are a group of extinct avialans ("birds" in the broad sense), the most abundant and diverse group known from the Mesozoic era. Almost all retained teeth and clawed fingers on each wing, but otherwise looked much like modern birds externally. Over eighty species of Enantiornithes have been named, but some names represent only single bones, so it is likely that not all are valid. The Enantiornithes became extinct at the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary, along with Hesperornithes and all other non-avian dinosaurs. Discovery and naming The first Enantiornithes to be discovered were incorrectly referred to modern bird groups. For example, the first known species of Enantiornithes, ''Gobipteryx minuta'', was originally considered a paleognath related to ostriches and tinamou. The Enantiornithes were first recognized as a distinct lineage, or "subclass" of birds, by Cyril A. Walker in 1981. Walker mad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ornithuromorpha
Euornithes (from Greek ' meaning "true birds") is a natural group which includes the most recent common ancestor of all avialans closer to modern birds than to ''Sinornis''. Description Clarke ''et al''. (2006) found that the most primitive known euornithians (the Yanornithiformes) had a mosaic of advanced and primitive features. These species retained primitive features like gastralia and a pubic symphysis. They also showed the first fully modern pygostyles, and the type specimen of ''Yixianornis'' (IVPP 13631) preserves eight elongated rectrices (tail feathers) in a modern arrangement. No earlier pygostylians are known which preserve a fan of tail feathers of this sort; instead, they showed only paired plumes or a tuft of short feathers. Classification The name Euornithes has been used for a wide variety of avialan groups since it was first named by Edward Drinker Cope in 1889. It was first defined as a clade in 1998 by Paul Sereno, who made it the group of all animals close ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Confuciusornithidae
Confuciusornithidae is an extinct family of pygostylian avialans known from the Early Cretaceous, found in northern China. They are commonly placed as a sister group to Ornithothoraces, a group that contains all extant birds along with their closest extinct relatives. Confuciusornithidae contains four genera, possessing both shafted and non-shafted (downy) feathers. They are also noted for their distinctive pair of ribbon-like tail feathers of disputed function. The wing anatomy of confuciusornithids suggests an unusual flight behavior, due to anatomy that implies conflicting abilities. They possessed feathers similar to those of fast-flapping birds, which rely on quick flapping of their wings to stay aloft. At the same time, their wing anatomy also suggests a lack of flapping ability. Confuciusornithids are also noted for their beak and lack of teeth, similar to modern birds. Both predators and prey, confuciusornithid fossils have been observed with fish remains in their digestive ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jeholornis
''Jeholornis'' (meaning "Jehol bird") is a genus of avialans that lived between approximately 122 and 120 million years ago during the early Cretaceous Period in China. Fossil ''Jeholornis'' were first discovered in the Jiufotang Formation in Hebei Province, China (in what was previously Rehe Province, also known as Jehol—hence the name) and additional specimens have been found in the older Yixian Formation. ''Jeholornis'' had long tails and few small teeth, and were approximately the size of turkeys,Holtz, Thomas R. Jr. (2008) ''Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages'Supplementary Information/ref> making them among the largest avialans known until the Late Cretaceous. Their diet included seeds of cycads, ''Ginkgo'' or similar plants. Description ''Jeholornis'' were relatively large, basal avialans, with a maximum adult length of up to 75 cm (2.5 ft) and an estimated weight of 2.27-9.1 kg (5-20 lbs). Another ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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