''Yuanchuavis'' (meaning "
Yuanchu bird", after a mythical Chinese bird) is an extinct genus of
pengornithid bird in the group
Enantiornithes
The Enantiornithes, also known as enantiornithines or enantiornitheans in literature, are a group of extinct Avialae, avialans ("birds" in the broad sense), the most abundant and diverse group known from the Mesozoic era. Almost all retained teet ...
. Its type and only specimen, IVPP V27883, is the
holotype
A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...
for its only species, ''Y. kompsosoura'' (meaning "beautiful tail"). It was recovered from the
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 ...
of
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, and has a fossilized fan of highly graduated
rectrices
Flight feathers (''Pennae volatus'') are the long, stiff, asymmetrically shaped, but symmetrically paired pennaceous feathers on the Bird wing, wings or tail of a bird; those on the wings are called remiges (), singular remex (), while those ...
. The tail has graduation similar to ''
Chiappeavis
''Chiappeavis'' is a genus of enantiornithean bird from Early Cretaceous of northeastern China. The only species is ''Chiappeavis magnapremaxillo''. ''Chiappeavis'' is classified within the family Pengornithidae. It is known from a single, almo ...
'' and a pair of highly elongate central rectrices similar to the pintails of extant male
sunbird
Sunbirds and spiderhunters make up the family Nectariniidae of passerine birds. They are small, slender passerines from the Old World, usually with downward-curved bills. Many are brightly coloured, often with iridescent feathers, particularly i ...
s.
Melanosomes
A melanosome is an organelle found in animal cells and is the site for synthesis, storage and transport of melanin, the most common light-absorbing pigment found in the animal kingdom. Melanosomes are responsible for color and photoprotection ...
sampled from the holotype suggest the central pair of rectrices to be dark in colour, and the rest of the tail feathers to be either grey or with non-iridescent structural colour.
See also
*
Dinosaur coloration
Dinosaur coloration is generally one of the unknowns in the field of paleontology, as skin pigmentation is nearly always lost during the fossilization process. However, recent studies of feathered dinosaurs and skin impressions have shown the c ...
References
Enantiornithes
Early Cretaceous birds of Asia
Fossil taxa described in 2021
{{paleo-bird-stub