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Gobipterygidae
Gobipterygidae is a family of extinct enantiornithine birds known from the Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ... of Asia.Holtz, Thomas R. Jr. (2012) ''Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages,'Winter 2011 Appendix./ref> References Euenantiornitheans Prehistoric dinosaur families {{paleo-bird-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Enantiornithine
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 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Early Cretaceous
The Early Cretaceous (geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous ( chronostratigraphic name), is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 145 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 early Aptian Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a (OAE1a) was carbon isotope 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- Manihiki- Hikurangi large igneous province, emplaced in the South Pacific at c. 120 Ma, is by far the largest LIP in Earth's history. The Ontong Java Plateau today covers an area of 1,860,000 km2. In the Indian Ocean another LIP began to form at c. 120 Ma, the Kergue ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''creta'', the Latin word for the white limestone known as chalk. The chalk of northern France and the white cliffs of south-eastern England date from the Cretaceous Period. Climate During the Late Cretaceous, the climate was warmer than present, although throughout the period a cooling trend is evident. The tropics became restricted to equatorial regions and northern latitudes experienced markedly more seasonal climatic conditions. Geography Due to plate tectonics, the Americas were gradually moving westward, causing the Atlantic Ocean to expand. The Western Interior Seaway divided North America into eastern and western halves; Appalachia and Laramidia. India maintained a northward course towards Asia. In the Southern Hemisphere, Australia a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus. :E.g. '' Panthera leo'' (lion) and '' Panthera onca'' (jaguar) are two species within the genus ''Panthera''. ''Panthera'' is a genus within the family Felidae. The composition of a genus is determined by taxonomists. The standards for genus classification are not strictly codified, so different authorities often produce different classifications for genera. There are some general practices used, however, including the idea that a newly defined genus should fulfill these three criteria to be descriptively useful: # monophyly – all descendants of an ancestral taxon are grouped together (i.e. phylogenetic analysis should c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gobipteryx
''Gobipteryx'' (from Gobi eferring to the Gobi Desert where it was first discovered and Greek pteryx “wing”) is a genus of prehistoric bird from the Campanian Age of the Late Cretaceous Period.Elżanowski, A. (1974): Preliminary note on the Palaeognthous bird from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia ''Palaeontologia Polonica'' 30. It is not known to have any direct descendants. Like the rest of the enantiornithes clade, ''Gobipteryx'' is thought to have gone extinct near the end of the Cretaceous.Padian, K. (2004). "Basal Avialae". chptr 11, in Weishampel, D.B., Dodson, P. and Osmólska, H. (eds.): ''The Dinosauria'' 2nd Edition. University of California Press, Berkeley . Description Based on a skull length of 45 millimeters, ''Gobipteryx'' has been estimated to be approximately the size of a partridge.Elżanowski, A. (1976): Palaeognathous bird from the Cretaceous of Central Asia ''Nature'' 264: 51-53. Its bones are fibrolamellar.Chinsamy, A., Elżanowski, A. (2001): Bone hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vescornis
''Vescornis'' is a genus of enantiornithine bird. One species is named, ''V. hebeiensis''. The holotype fossil is in the collection of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Its catalog number is CAGS 130722. The fossil was found in Early Cretaceous rocks first attributed to the Yixian Formation, Senjitu, Fengning County, Hebei Province, China. However, later study of area geology showed that these rocks actually belong to the Huajiying Formation.Jin, F., Zhang, F.C., Li, Z.H., Zhang, J.Y., Li, C. and Zhou, Z.H. (2008). "On the horizon of ''Protopteryx'' and the early vertebrate fossil assemblages of the Jehol Biota." ''Chinese Science Bulletin'', 53(18): 2820-2827. ''Vescornis'' was described in detail by Zhang ''et al.'' in 2004.Zhang, Fucheng., Ericson, Per G.P., Zhou, Zhonghe. (2004) "Description of a new enantiornithine bird from the Early Cretaceous of Hebei, northern China" ''Canadian Journal of Earth Science'' 41: 1097 - 1107 Poss ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jibeinia
''Jibeinia'' is a genus of enantiornithean bird. Only one species has been named, ''Jibeinia luanhera''. It is known from one holotype fossil found in the Hebei province, People's Republic of China. This fossil is now lost.Zhang, Fucheng., Ericson, Per G.P., Zhou, Zhonghe. (2004) "Description of a new enantiornithine bird from the Early Cretaceous of Hebei, northern China" ''Canadian Journal of Earth Science'' 41: 1097 - 1107 The holotype was, however, described and figured in detail by Hou (1997). In the summer of 1993, the holotype was presented to engineer Li Pai of the Hebei Provincial Office of Geology by a local farmer. Li, along with Hou Linhai and Zhou Zhonghe, investigated the quarry from which it came, at the locality of the Dongtuyao brick factory, Northern Hebei Province, Linjituxiang Village. They determined that it was collected from the Yixian Formation. However, later research into the geology of the area showed that it actually came from similarly aged beds of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gobioolithus
''Gobioolithus'' is an oogenus of fossil bird egg native to Mongolia. They are small, smooth-shelled, and elongated eggs that were first discovered in the 1960s and early 70s during a series of fossil-hunting expeditions in the Gobi desert. Two oospecies have been described: ''Gobioolithus minor'' and ''G. major''. The eggs were probably laid in colonial nesting sites on the banks of rivers and lakes. ''G. minor'' is unusual because it frequently is found with embryonic skeletons of the enantiornithine bird ''Gobipipus''. These embryos have well-developed wings, which suggest they would be able to fly very soon after hatching, unlike most modern birds. Description ''Gobioolithus'' eggs are small and smooth-shelled. They are asymmetrically shaped, similar to many modern bird eggs, with one end pointier than the other. The two oospecies are distinguished mainly by their size: ''G. major'' ranges from 50 to 53.5 mm long and 25 to 32 mm across, with an eggshell thickness ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of the entire Phanerozoic. The name is derived from the Latin ''creta'', " chalk", which is abundant in the latter half of the period. It is usually abbreviated K, for its German translation ''Kreide''. The Cretaceous was a period with a relatively warm climate, resulting in high eustatic sea levels that created numerous shallow inland seas. These oceans and seas were populated with now-extinct marine reptiles, ammonites, and rudists, while dinosaurs continued to dominate on land. The world was ice free, and forests extended to the poles. During this time, new groups of mammals and birds appeared. During the Early Cretaceous, flowering plants appeared and began to rapidly diversify, becoming the dominant group of plants across the Ear ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
