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Due to my recent post on the size of Mesozoic
birds, I thought I'd estimate the length of every species I could. I
present them here for future reference. As before, non-ornithothoracines
are based on Chiappe et al.'s (1999) Confuciusornis, enantiornithies on Paul's
Cathayornis yandica and euornithines on Hou et al's (1996) Chaoyangia. All
are pretty certainly within 10% of their actual lengths, judging by comparisons
I made using different elements or different reconstructions. Unnamed
specimens were not included, except the Spanish hatchling (Sanz et al.,
1997). Femoral length was used to estimate, or else the only element
known, unless otherwise stated.
82 mm Liaoxiornis
The only specimen complete enough to have an exact
length, though juvenile.
85 mm Iberomesornis 100 mm Longchengornis 105 mm Alexornis Based on humeral proportions of Enantiornis.
110 mm Kizylkumavis Based on humeral proportions of Enantiornis.
115 mm Jibeinia 120 mm Cathayornis? caudatus 130 mm Concornis 130 mm Protopteryx This was based on dorsal length, modified to
include one more vertebra than enantiornithines. The referred specimen is
subequal in length.
135 mm Eoenantiornis 135 mm Incolornis silvae 135 mm Nanantius eos This was based on scaling N? valifanovi's length
down 30%, as suggested by the differences in tibiotarsal proportions between the
species.
140 mm Cuspirostrisornis 140 mm Sinornis 140 mm Spanish hatchling Based on humeral length, which would probably make
this specimen even larger as wings would be comparatively smaller in a
nestling. Note it is bigger than either Iberomesornis or Concornis.
Are they also young specimens? Is this one really a nestling? Was
the adult really big? S many questions....
145 mm Largirostornis 145 mm Longipteryx 150 mm Eoalulavis Based on coracoid length, roughly estimated from a
bad photocopy.
150 mm Liaoningornis 150 mm Otogornis Based on humeral length.
150 mm Platanornis 165 mm Explorornis nessovi 170 mm Changchengornis 170 mm Wyleyia 175 mm Nanantius? valifanovi 180 mm Abavornis sp. 180 mm Boluochia Based on femoral diameter, as the taxon has
comparatively longer tibiotarsi and shorter tarsometatarsi than
Cathayornis. That's why I don't use lower limb lengths to estimate.
180 mm Confuciusornis dui 185 mm Sazavis Tibiotarsal diameter was used to avoid differences
in lower limb proportions.
190 mm Gobipteryx The referred specimen is subequal in length.
190 mm Songlingornis Based on coracoid length.
200 mm Zhyraornis logunovi 205 mm "Ichthyornis" minusculus 215 mm Yixianornis 220 mm Catenoleimus 220 mm Incolornis martini 225 mm Zhyraornis kashkarovi 235 mm Chaoyangia 250 mm Gansus Based on metatarsal length, as it seems to have
similar length/width proportions to Cathayornis.
260 mm Explorornis walkeri 270 mm Ambiortus Based on humeral length, estimated by comparison to
the ambiortid Otogornis.
275 mm Yanornis 190-280 mm Confuciusornis sanctus 280 mm Abavornis bonaparti 285 mm Horezmavis Metatarsal depth was used to avoid differences in
lower limb proportions.
290 mm Neuquenornis Coracoid length was used, as humeri and femora are
damaged.
330 mm Lenesornis 340 mm Yungavolucris Metatarsal depth was used to avoid differences in
lower limb proportions.
345 mm Soroavisaurus 510 mm Gurilynia Coracoid length was estimated compared to other
enantiornithines and used.
530 mm Kuszholia 540 mm Vorona Tibiotarsal diameter was used. The referred
specimen is about 510 mm long.
545 mm Patagopteryx I used the skeletal reconstruction in the
description, as this taxon has a more elongate neck than Cathayornis.
550 mm Avisaurus 575 mm Lectavis Metatarsal depth was used to avoid differences in
lower limb proportions.
1.0 m Enantiornis Coracoid length was used.
Note several trends. Lecho enantiornithines
are large, while Yixian ones are small. Confuciusornis is the largest
Yixian bird, with smaller specimens matched only by some
euornithines.
I could not estimate the length of several
species-
Avisaurus gloriae Cathayornis yandica Holbotia Noguerornis Proornis Mickey Mortimer
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