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New Species of Enantiornithes (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from the Qiaotou Formation in Northern Hebei, China
Author(s) -
WANG Xuri,
O'CONNOR Jingmai K.,
ZHAO Bo,
CHIAPPE Luis M.,
GAO Chunling,
CHENG Xiaodong
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
acta geologica sinica ‐ english edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.444
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1755-6724
pISSN - 1000-9515
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-6724.2010.00156.x
Subject(s) - synapomorphy , skull , taxon , biology , morphology (biology) , zoology , trophic level , paleontology , phylogenetic tree , clade , biochemistry , gene
We report on a new species of enantiornithine bird from the Lower Cretaceous Qiaotou Formation of northern Hebei, China. The new taxon, Shenqiornis mengi gen. et sp. nov., possesses several enantiornithine synapomorphies but is unique from other known species. The specimen has a well‐preserved skull that reveals new information about enantiornithine cranial morphology. The new taxon possesses a large postorbital with a long tapering jugal process indicating that some enantiornithines may have had a fully diapsid skull, as in Confuciusornis. The tooth morphology of the specimen is unique and likely represents a previously unknown trophic specialization within Enantiornithes.