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Zhou, Z. & Zhang, F. (2002). Largest bird from the Early Cretaceous
and its implications for the earliest avian ecological diversification.
Naturwissenschaften 89:34–38.
So it's printed now? That issue of
Naturwissenschaften hasn't yet arrived here. Great, now I can cite
it.
Class Aves
Order and family indet.
Why "indet." and not "unnecessary"?
:-P
It shares several primitive features with Archaeopteryx and dromaeosaurs,
such as a short and nonstrut-like coracoid, well developed manual digit I, a
fibula reaching the distal end of the tarsal joint,
Unlike Avimimus, apparently
Yandangornis and Pygostylia. Teaches one to be careful when assuming
synapomorphies instead of convergences (Holtz mantra number...).
[...] the presence of a fifth metatarsal.
Like Avimimus, apparently unlike
Yandangornis.
On the other hand, Sapeornis exhibits more derived characters than
Archaeopteryx, such as the presence of heterocoelous
cervicals,
Heterocoelous? I thought that appeared much later?
This couldn't bring Protoavis back into the bird family tree, could
it?
the presence of a pygostyle,
As expected. Phew ;-)
a fused carpometacarpus,
So that evolved 3 times on the
whole?
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