Avisaurus
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| iAvisaurus |
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Extinct (fossil)
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Avisaurus archibaldi (type) |
Avisaurus or "bird-lizard" is a member of a group of Cretaceous birds called Enantiornithes. Its first known remains were leg bones, discovered in the Late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation of North America (c. 70.6-65.5 MYA). Avisaurus probably had a wingspan of about 1.2 meters at the largest and hunted smaller birds and mammals. Avisaurus was one of the last enantiornitids. It had teeth and lacked a beak, making their face similar to those of Dromaeosaurids. Palentologists think that enatiornitids had a long growing period, but left the nest some days after hatching, ocuping various ecological niches along their lifespans. Avisauridae had probably only few species, in contrast with the 480 species of today's birds of prey, their modern equivalent.
[edit] References
- Brett-Surman, M. K. & Paul, G. S. (1985): A new family of bird-like dinosaurs linking Laurasia and Gondwanaland. J. Vert. Paleontol. 5(2): 133-138.
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