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Songlingornithids
Songlingornithidae is a family of basal euornithean dinosaurs from the Early Cretaceous of China. All known specimens come from the Jiufotang Formation and the Yixian Formation, dating to the early Barremian and Aptian ages, 125–120 million years ago. The family Songlingornithidae was first named by Hou in 1997 to contain the type genus, ''Songlingornis''.Hou, (1997). ''Mesozoic Birds of China''. Taiwan Provincial Feng Huang Ku Bird Park. Taiwan: Nan Tou. 228 pp. Clarke et al. (2006) was the first to find a close relationship between ''Songlingornis'' and the "yanornithids".Clarke, Zhou and Zhang, (2006). "Insight into the evolution of avian flight from a new clade of Early Cretaceous ornithurines from China and the morphology of ''Yixianornis grabaui''." ''Journal of Anatomy'', 208: 287-308. The name was originally coined to reflect a close relationship between the two supposedly similar (but poorly preserved) genera ''Songlingornis'' and '' Chaoyangia''. However, subsequent s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Early Cretaceous
The Early Cretaceous (geochronology, geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphy, chronostratigraphic name) is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 143.1 Megaannum#SI prefix multipliers, 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 Anoxic event#Cretaceous, early Aptian Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a (OAE1a) was 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 Plateau, Ontong Java-Manihiki Plateau, Manihiki-Hikurangi Plateau, Hikurangi large igneous province, emplaced in the South Pacific at c. 120 Ma, is by far the largest LIP in Earth's history. The Onto ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chaoyangia
''Chaoyangia'' is an extinct genus of euornithean birds, containing the single species ''Chaoyangia beishanensis''. This species is known from a single fossil specimen consisting of a partial skeleton including vertebra, ribs, hips, and upper legs. The specimen (museum catalog number IVPP V9934) was discovered in the Jiufotang Formation near the city of Chaoyang in Liaoning province, China. This rock formation has been dated to the Aptian age of the Early Cretaceous period, 120 million years ago. Description ''C. beishanensis'', known only from a single partial skeleton, is relatively poorly known compared to other primitive euornitheans. ''Chaoyangia'' were small, basal euornithean birds characterized by more than eight fused sacral vertebrae (those connected to the hips), uniquely long, slender, and angled uncinate processes on the ribs, and a distinct 'neck' in the upper leg bone (femur). Overall, the known skeleton is very similar to another primitive Chinese euornithean bir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apsaravis
''Apsaravis'' is a Mesozoic avialan genus from the Late Cretaceous. The single known species, ''Apsaravis ukhaana'', lived about 78 million years ago, in the Campanian age of the Cretaceous period. Its fossilized remains were found in the Camel's Humps sublocality of the Djadokhta Formation, at Ukhaa Tolgod in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia. They were collected in the 1998 field season by the Mongolian Academy of Sciences/American Museum of Natural History Paleontological Expeditions. It was described by Norell and Clarke (2001).Norell, Mark A., Clarke, Julia A. (2001). "Fossil that fills a critical gap in avian evolution". ''Nature'' Vol. 409 11 January 2001 pp.181-184. Its habitat was presumably very arid open landscape much like it is today, perhaps hotter still and with more (but nonetheless intermittent) rain. Permanent freshwater would have been scarce. Implications ''Apsaravis'' is important in avian paleontology. It has provided evidence that is directly relevant to at ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gansus
''Gansus'' is a genus of aquatic birds that lived during the Aptian age of the Early Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian) period in what are now Gansu and Liaoning provinces, western China. The rock layers from which their fossils have been recovered are dated to 120 million years ago.Ji, S.-A. Atterholt, J. O'Connor, J.K. Lamanna, M.C. Harris, J.D. Li, D.-Q. You, H.-L. & Dodson, P. (2011A new, three-dimensionally preserved enantiornithine bird (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from Gansu Province, north-western China ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'' 162(1):201–219. It was first described in 1984 on the basis of an isolated left leg.Hou, L. & Liu, Z. (1984) A new fossil bird from Lower Cretaceous of Gansu and early evolution of birds. ''Sci. Sin. Ser. B.'' 27:1296−1302. It is the oldest-known member of the Ornithurae, the group which includes modern birds (Neornithes) and extinct related groups, such as '' Ichthyornis'' and Hesperornithes.O’Connor, J.K & Zhou, Z. (2012A redescriptio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jianchangornis
''Jianchangornis'' a genus of basal ornithuromorph dinosaurs. Fossils were recovered from the Jiufotang Formation at Liaoning ) , image_skyline = , image_alt = , image_caption = Clockwise: Mukden Palace in Shenyang, Xinghai Square in Dalian, Dalian coast, Yalu River at Dandong , image_map = Liaoning in China (+all claims hatched).svg , ..., China. Description A specimen IVPP-V16708 includes skull, partial skeleton and feathers. These remains indicate a subadult individual with a length of , hip height of , and weight of . References Euornithes Early Cretaceous dinosaurs of Asia Jiufotang fauna Fossil taxa described in 2009 {{Paleo-bird-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hongshanornithidae
Hongshanornithidae is an extinct group of early Ornithuromorpha, ornithuromorph birds from the early Cretaceous period of China. It includes the genus, genera ''Hongshanornis'' (the type genus) and ''Tianyuornis'' from the Yixian Formation of Inner Mongolia, ''Longicrusavis'' from the Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, ''Parahongshanornis'' from the Jiufotang Formation of Liaoning Province, and ''Archaeornithura'', the oldest known member, from the Huajiying Formation of Hebei Province. Description Hongshanornithids were small, approximately the size of modern Phoebe (bird), phoebes. Their legs are proportionally long in comparison to the wings, suggesting that they were aquatic wading birds. They most likely lacked beaks and had teeth in their jaws. Classification Hongshanornithidae was defined as a Cladistics#Three definitions of clade, node-based clade including the last common ancestor of ''Hongshanornis longicresta'' and ''Longicrusavis houi'' plus all its descendan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Schizooura
''Schizooura'' is a genus under the classification of basal ornithuromorph dinosaurs, which are dinosaurs that are relatives of modern birds. This feathery creature was from the Early Cretaceous period (125.5 million years ago) in modern-day western Liaoning, China The ''Schizooura'' was a ground forager, meaning it collected whatever it could find from the floor. The bird evolved differently compared to other modern birds, as its beak is toothless. The remains were discovered in Jiufotang Formation The Jiufotang Formation () is an Early Cretaceous geological formation in Chaoyang, Liaoning which has yielded fossils of feathered dinosaurs, primitive birds, pterosaurs, and other organisms (see Jehol Biota). It is a member of the Jehol group. T ... deposits. Any information about the bird is relatively unknown, as only one fossil was ever discovered. References {{Taxonbar, from=Q543288 Euornithes Early Cretaceous dinosaurs of Asia Jiufotang fauna Fossil taxa described i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vorona
''Vorona berivotrensis'' ( ; Malagasy for "bird", ''berivotrensis'', "from Berivotra") is a monotypic genus of prehistoric birds. It was described from fossils found in a Maevarano Formation quarry near the village of Berivotra, Mahajanga Province, Madagascar. The age of the fossilised specimen is Late Cretaceous, probably Maastrichtian (72.1-66.0 mya). ''V. berivotrensis'' is known from scattered remains, possibly from a single individual ( UA 8651 and FMNH PA715). The phylogenic affinity of ''Vorona'' is hard to determine due to the fragmentary nature of the remains, mainly because the fossil shows a mix of basal avian features as well as some that seem very derived. ''Vorona'' might be a primitive ornithuromorph. At least two studies recovered it as part of Enantiornithes, however. ''Vorona'' is sometimes confused with the dromaeosaur '' Rahonavis ostromi'', a fossil of which was found in the same location. This confusion has led to the common misconception that ''Voro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Archaeorhynchus
''Archaeorhynchus'' (meaning "ancient snout") is a genus of beaked avialans from the early Cretaceous period. A fossil of its only known species, ''Archaeorhynchus spathula'', was first reported in 2005 by Zhou & Zhang to have been found in Yixian Formation rocks at Yixian, Liaoning province, China, showing a well-preserved and essentially complete skeleton. Two more complete specimens were found in Lower Cretaceous deposits of Jianchang, Liaoning, northeastern China, preserving new anatomical information. These deposits are 120 million years old, whereas the original specimen was 125 million years old, meaning the age range for this species is 125-120Ma. ''Archaeorhychus'' is one of the earliest avialans known to have had a beak, and represents one of the most basal ornithuromorph avialans. The fossils preserved feathers associated with the neck, head and tail regions. The fossils also show grooves and openings/ holes (foramina) on the tips of the upper and lower jaws, suggesti ... [...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 the enantiornithines. This group was defined in the ''PhyloCode'' by Juan Benito and colleagues in 2022 as "the largest clade containing '' Vultur gryphus'', but not '' Enantiornis leali'' and '' Cathayornis yandica''". 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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cladogram
A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an Phylogenetic tree, evolutionary tree because it does not show how ancestors are related to descendants, nor does it show how much they have changed, so many differing evolutionary trees can be consistent with the same cladogram. A cladogram uses lines that branch off in different directions ending at a clade, a group of organisms with a last common ancestor. There are many shapes of cladograms but they all have lines that branch off from other lines. The lines can be traced back to where they branch off. These branching off points represent a hypothetical ancestor (not an actual entity) which can be inferred to exhibit the traits shared among the terminal taxa above it. This hypothetical ancestor might then provide clues about the order of evolution of various features, adaptation, and other e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
