[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index][Subject Index][Author Index]
Re: Yuanmousaurus, Sonidosaurus &Dapingfangornis was Re: Some Asian papers
Dapingfangornis sentisorhinus
Enantionithine birds are the most blooming branch of early birds and have
distinct diversities. A
large number of enantionithine birds have been reported from the Early
Cretaceous Jiufotang
Formation in western Liaoning, China. Recently, we discovered a new
eoenantiornithid bird from the
Jiufotang Formation in Dapingfang Town, western Liaoning. A new
eoenantiornithid bird,
Dapingfangornis sentisorhinus gen. et sp. nov., is erected based on this
complete skeleton with a
skull. The new bird is distinguished f...
...rom other known Mesozoic birds in a medium to small size, a distinct
thorn-like process on the nasals, a sternum with a long and a short lateral
processes. The thorn-like process on the nasal has not been discovered among
known fossil birds, thus the discovery also provides new materials on the
diversities of early birds."
That process looks a lot like an artifact of disarticulation.
It's a pity the photos are _so_ bad. No resolution worth mention.
Two *Confuciusornis*-style tail feathers are present. The general shape of
the skull looks like *Longipteryx* (but see above!). There are at least 8
sacral vertebrae, so it probably belongs to Ornithothoraces, but the
evidence for it belonging into Enantiornithes seems to be limited to:
"*Dapingfangornis* described in this paper is similar to Eoenantioronis from
the *Confuciusornis* fauna in morphology (Hou and Chen, 1999), such as the
short skull, larger nasals and similar sternum, and so it is assigned to
Eoenantiornithiformes." Various plesiomorphies are compatible with this, but
it goes without saying that I'm not convinced... On the other hand, it could
be a synonym of something already described. I guess *Longipteryx* is a
candidate -- it is not mentioned in the paper at all.
"Recently, from Shangheshou of Chaoyang County to Dapingfang,
*Confuciusornis* birds were found from the middle to lower part of the
Jiufotang Formation."
Oho!
"All these indicate that the Jiufotang Formation and the underlyingYixian
Formation belong to a continuous deposit."
Why?