Largirostrisornis
| Largirostrornis Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 120 Ma | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | Theropoda |
| Clade: | †Enantiornithes |
| Genus: | †Largirostrornis Hou, 1997 |
| Species: | † L. sexdentoris |
| Binomial name | |
| Largirostrornis sexdentoris Hou, 1997 | |
Largirostrornis is a Genus of enantiornithine bird. One species is known, Largirostornis sexdentoris. It lived during the Early Cretaceous and is known from fossils found in the Jiufotang Formation in Liaoning province, People's Republic of China. Some researchers believe this species to be a synonym of the similar Cathayornis yandica.[1]
It is known from one fossil, slab and counterslab, found in the Jiufotang Formation in Liaoning province, People's Republic of China. The Jiufotang Formation is dated to the Early Cretaceous period, Aptian age, 120.3 +/-0.7 million years ago.[2]
The holotype fossil is in the collection of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing, China. It is given catalog number IVPP 10531.[3]
L. sexdentornis has a torso longer than all other known enantiornithines. It is slightly larger than Cuspirostrisornis, with a skull about 32 millimeters long. The dentary and premaxilla each hold six pairs of teeth. There are tall neural spines on the cervical and dorsal vertebrae.[3]
Etymology
The Genus name comes from the Latin words for "large" and "beak", and the species name means "six teeth".
References
- ↑ Zhou Z. and Wang Y. (2010). "Vertebrate diversity of the Jehol Biota as compared with other lagerstätten." Science China: Earth Sciences, 53(12): 1894–1907. doi:10.1007/s11430-010-4094-9
- ↑ He, H.Y., Wang, X.L., Zhou, Z.H., Wang, F., Boven, A., Shi, G.H., Zhu R.X. (2004). "Timing of the Jiufotang Formation (Jehol Group) in Liaoning, northeastern China, and its implications". Geophysical Research Letters 31(13): 1709.
- 1 2 Hou, Lianhai (1997) "Mesozoic Birds of China" Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing, China. Published by the Phoenix Valley Provincial Aviary of Taiwan. In Chinese, translated by Will Downs, Bilby Research Center, Northern Arizona University, January, 2001.