Open Paleo

Zhongornis

Gao et al., 2008 JOHNG-or-nis

From Chinese zhong meaning 'intermediate' or 'middle' and Greek ornis meaning 'bird'; translates as 'intermediate bird,' referring to its transitional morphology

125.8–121.4 million years ago Barremian, Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous stages

Zhongornis is a genus of primitive maniraptoran dinosaurs that lived during the Early Cretaceous. It was found in rocks of the Yixian Formation in Lingyuan City (China), and described by Gao and colleagues in 2008.

Under dispute

Zhongornis haoae is known from a single juvenile, and its position is uncertain. It was originally described as a basal avialan, the sister taxon of Pygostylia (Gao and colleagues, 2008), and is recovered near the base of Avialae by Hartman and colleagues (2019); a restudy by O'Connor and Sullivan reinterpreted it as the sister taxon of Scansoriopterygidae. It is placed conservatively at Avialae incertae sedis.

Diagnosis

  1. Edentulous jaws
  2. 13–14 differentiated caudal vertebrae
  3. Strut-like and proximally expanded coracoid
  4. Imperforate humeral deltopectoral crest
  5. Manual phalangeal formula 2-3-3-x-x with largest claw on digit I
  6. Unreduced clawed digit III with three phalanges, unique among birds

Species

Zhongornis haoae Gao et al., 2008

Type species

Named in honor of Ms. Hao, who donated the specimen to the Dalian Natural History Museum.

Holotype
D2455, D2456 , Xinghai Paleontological Museum of Dalian
Material
Slab and counterslab of nearly complete skeleton.
Horizon
upper Dawangzhangzi Member, Yixian Formation, Barremian, Early Cretaceous , 125.8–121.4 million years ago
Locality
Lingyuan City, Liaoning, China

References

  1. Gao, C.; Chiappe, L. M.; Meng, Q.; O'Connor, J. K.; Wang, X.; Cheng, X.; Liu, J. (2008). A new basal lineage of Early Cretaceous birds from China and its implications on the evolution of the avian tail. Palaeontology 51(4): 775-791. Wiley. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2008.00793.x gao2008a
  2. Hartman, S.; Mortimer, M.; Wahl, W. R.; Lomax, D. R.; Lippincott, J.; Lovelace, D. M. (2019). A new paravian dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of North America supports a late acquisition of avian flight. PeerJ 7: e7247. PeerJ. doi:10.7717/peerj.7247

    Recovered Zhongornis near the base of Avialae.

    hartman2019a