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Avisauridae
Avisauridae is a family of extinct enantiornithine dinosaurs from the Cretaceous period, distinguished by several features of their ankle bones. Depending on the definition used, Avisauridae is either a broad and widespread group of advanced enantiornithines (following Cau & Arduini, 2008), or a small family within that group, restricted to species from the Late Cretaceous of North and South America (following Chiappe, 1992). Description Avisaurids were among the largest and last enantiornithines to have lived, although they are also among the most poorly preserved. The majority of them are known primarily from fossilized tarsometatarsal bones, the part of a bird's leg formed by fused metatarsals (the bones which comprise the foot in humans). As a result, members of this family are distinguished from other enantiornithines exclusively by features of the tarsometatarsal and pedal phalanges (toe bones). Unlike in some prehistoric birds, avisaurid tarsometatarsals were not comple ... [...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] |
Avisaurus
''Avisaurus'' (meaning "bird lizard") is a genus of enantiornithine bird from the Late Cretaceous of North America. Discovery ''Avisaurus archibaldi'' was discovered in the Late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation of North America (Maastrichtian, from c.70.6-66 million years ago), making it one of the last enantiornithids. It was collected in 1975 in the UCMP locality V73097, in Garfield County, Montana, USA. The holotype is represented by a single fossil of a tarsometatarsus in the collection of the University of California Museum of Paleontology. It has the catalog number UCMP 117600. The species name honors J. David Archibald, its discoverer, from The University of California, Berkeley. It was initially described as the left tarsometatarsus of a non-avian theropod by Brett-Surman and Paul in 1985. It was later redescribed as the right tarsometatarsus of an enantiornithine bird by Chiappe in 1992.Chiappe, Luis M. (1992) "Enantiornithine (Aves) Tarsometatarsi and the Avian Affinities ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neuquenornis
''Neuquenornis volans''Chiappe, Luis M.,Calvo, Jorge O. (1994) "Neuquenornis volans, a New Late Cretaceous Bird (Enantiornithes: Avisauridae) from Patagonia, Argentina""Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology" Vol. 14, No. 2 (Jun. 22, 1994), pp. 230-246 https://www.jstor.org/stable/4523563 is a species of enantiornithean birds which lived during the late Cretaceous period in today's Patagonia, Argentina. It is the only known species of the genus ''Neuquenornis''. Its fossils were found in the Santonian Bajo de la Carpa Formation, dating from about 85-83 million years ago. This was a sizeable bird for its time, with a tarsometatarsus 46.8mm long. Informal estimates suggest that it measured nearly 30 cm (12 in) in length excluding the tai Etymology The naming means "Flying bird from Neuquén Province". ''Neuquenornis'', from Neuquén Province + Ancient Greek ''ornis'' (όρνις) "bird". ''volans'', Latin for "flying" in reference to the species' well-developed wing skel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Intiornis
''Intiornis'' (meaning "Inti bird", the binominal naming means "Unexpected Sun bird") is an extinct genus of avisaurid enantiornithean birds which existed in what is now North-West Argentina during the late Cretaceous period (Campanian age). Description The genus is known from a partial hind limb found in beds of the Upper Cretaceous Las Curtiembres Formation. Three primary toes on a limb of ''Intiornis'' are nearly the same length. It was named by Fernando Emilio Novas, Federico Lisandro Agnolín and Carlos Agustín Scanferla in 2010, and the type species is ''Intiornis inexpectatus''. With the body length of around ''Intiornis'' was the size of a sparrow, thus representing the smallest enantiornithes known from South America. Its closest relative was '' Soroavisaurus'' from the Lecho Formation (Maastrichtian age) of northwestern Argentina. Phylogeny The cladogram below is from Wang ''et al.'', 2022: Key to letters: ''b'' = '' Boluochia'' ''c'' = ''Cathayornis'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mystiornis
''Mystiornis'' is an extinct genus of bird which existed in what is now western Siberia, Russia during the early Cretaceous period (Barremian/ Aptian age). It is known from an isolated metatarsus found in the Shestakovo-1 locality of southern Western Siberia. It was named by Evgeny N. Kurochkin, Nikita V. Zelenkov, Alexandr O. Averianov and Sergei V. Leshchinskiy in 2011, and the type species is ''Mystiornis cyrili''. While most recent studies place it as an Enantiornithine, specifically an Avisaurid, the authors note that the placement in both groups is tentative and further material will be required to make a firm decision on placement due to the unusual features of the existing material. Based on the strongly shortened metatarsal II and orientation of throchleae, ''Mystiornis'' had diving adaptations similar to that of ''Gansus'' and ''Neogaeornis ''Neogaeornis'' is a controversial prehistoric genus of diving bird. The single known species, ''Neogaeornis wetzeli'', was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gettyia
''Gettyia'' is an extinct genus of avisaurid enantiornithean bird from the Late Cretaceous of North America. Description ''Gettyia'' is known from a single right tarsometatarsus. This bone was similar to that of other North American avisaurids such as ''Avisaurus'' and ''Mirarce'', but it was much smaller. The second metatarsal had a tubercule (knob-like structure) on its front edge, which likely connected to the ''tibialis cranialis'' muscle which flexes the ankle. Other avisaurids typically had this tubercule located midway on the shaft of the metatarsal, or closer to the ankle than the toes. ''Gettyia'', on the other hand, had its ''tibialis cranialis'' tubercule located more than halfway down the shaft. The third and fourth metatarsals are more extensively fused than in other avisaurids, as fusion occurs not only near the ankle, but also near the toes. Paleobiology The more distally placed ''tibialis cranialis'' tubercule of ''Gettyia'' suggests that it had a more spe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mirarce
''Mirarce'' (meaning "wonderful winged messenger") is a genus of enantornithe bird from the Late Cretaceous of Utah. It contains a single species, ''M. eatoni''.Science NewsMirarce eatoni: Newly-Discovered Cretaceous Bird Lived Among Dinosaurs, Was Strong Flier November 13, 2018. It was similar in size to modern turkeys. Discovery In 1992, in Utah, USA, paleontologist Howard Hutchison discovered fossilized remains of an enantiornithine bird. For a long time they have not been described; they were sometimes figured under the unofficial name of "Kaiparowits enantiornithine". The holotype, UCMP 139500, is well preserved in three dimensions. It consists of a partial postcranial skeleton without a skull, including 3 cervical and 2 thoracic vertebrae, a pygostyle, a furcula, the xiphoid process of the sternum, a fragment of the left scapula and a coracoid, the humerus, ulna, and radius with fragments of the manus, several fused fragments of the pelvic girdle, and some elements of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soroavisaurus
''Soroavisaurus'' is a genus of enantiornithean birds related to '' Avisaurus''. It lived during the Late Cretaceous of Argentina. The only known species, ''S. australis'', is known from fossils collected from the Lecho Formation (Maastrichtian age) of Estancia El Brete, in the southern tip of the province of Salta, Argentina. A binominal name of this animal means "Southern sister Avisaur". Description The specimens are in the collection of the Fundación-Instituto Miguel Lillo, Tucumán. They are cataloged as PVL-4690, a -long left tarsometatarsus, and PVL-4048, which includes another left tarsometatarsus, -long and associated with the whole hallux, or digit I, and four intermediate phalanges. PVL-4048 was previously described as ''"Avisaurus sp."'' (see '' Avisaurus'').Chiappe, Luis M. (1993) "Enantiornithine (Aves) Tarsometatarsi from the Cretaceous Lecho Formation of Northwestern Argentina." "American Museum Novitates" December 27, 1993 Number 3083, 27pp. PVL-4048, th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1985 In Paleontology
Molluscs Bivalves Arthropods Insects Archosauromorphs * Psittacosaurus gastroliths documented.Bird (1985). Sanders, Manley, and Carpenter (2001), "Table 12.1" page 167. Newly named pseudosuchians Newly named pterosaurs Newly named non-avian dinosaurs Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list. Literature on fossil birds * Storrs Olson: the fossil record of birds Newly named birds Lepidosauromorphs Newly named pleosiosaurs References {{portal, Paleontology * Bird, R.T. (1985) Bones for Barnum Brown (V.T. Schreiber, Ed.), Texas Christian Univ. Press. Fort Worth, TX. 225 pp. * Sanders F, Manley K, Carpenter K. Gastroliths from the Lower Cretaceous sauropod Cedarosaurus weiskopfae. In: Tanke D.H, Carpenter K, editors. Mesozoic vertebrate life: new research inspired by the paleontology of Philip J. Currie. Indiana University Press; Bloomington, IN: 2001. pp. 166–180. Paleontology Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or pal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bauxitornis
''Bauxitornis'' is an extinct genus of avisaurid enantiornithean birds which lived in what is now Hungary during the late Cretaceous period (Santonian age). Although first mentioned in a 2008 review of Hungarian Cretaceous bird fossils, it was named in a more comprehensive review by Gareth J. Dyke and Attila Ősi in 2010. The type species is ''Bauxitornis mindszentyae''. The generic name "''Bauxitornis''" refers to the locality at which it was discovered, a Bauxite mine. The specific name "''mindszentyae''" honors Andrea Mindszenty, Ősi's advisor. Description The holotype of ''Bauxitornis'' is MTV V 2009.31.1 (previously known as MTM Gyn/439), a right tarsometatarsus. At 51 mm (2 inches) in length, this bone indicates that ''Bauxitornis'' was a comparatively large enantiornithean similar to ''Soroavisaurus'' and ''Avisaurus''. In addition, several other traits support the placement of ''Bauxitornis'' as an avisaurid. The inside edge of the trochlea (toe joint) of m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Concornis
''Concornis'' is a genus of enantiornithean birds which lived during the early Cretaceous period, in the late Barremian age about 125 million years ago. Its remains are known from the Calizas de La Huérgina Formation at Las Hoyas, Cuenca province, Spain. The single known species, ''Concornis lacustris,'' was described from the remains of one fairly complete individual skeleton. Description The holotype of ''Concornis'', MCCM-LH-1184 (also known as LH-2814) was initially described in 1992, while the specimen was still partially covered in sandstone. This preliminary description was published to record an aspect of the specimen which would be erased upon further preparation: faint traces of wing feathers visible under ultraviolet light. Once the specimen was prepared, most of these traces were destroyed but in return the skeleton was able to be studied in closer detail. A large redescription was published in 1995 once further preparation concluded. The specimen is almost compl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tarsometatarsus
The tarsometatarsus is a bone that is only found in the lower leg of birds and some non-avian dinosaurs. It is formed from the fusion of several bones found in other types of animals, and homologous to the mammalian tarsus (ankle bones) and metatarsal bones (foot). Despite this, the tarsometatarsus of birds is often referred to as just the shank, tarsus or metatarsus. Tarsometatarsal fusion occurred in several ways and extents throughout bird evolution. Specifically, in Neornithes (modern birds), although the bones are joined along their entire length, the fusion is most thorough at the distal (metatarsal) end. In the Enantiornithes, a group of Mesozoic avialans, the fusion was complete at the proximal (tarsal) end, but the distal metatarsi were still partially distinct. While these fused bones are best known from birds and their relatives, avians are neither the only group nor the first to possess tarsometatarsi. In a remarkable case of parallel evolution, they were also pres ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
