Archaeorhynchus
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- For the prehistoric weevil genus, see Archaeorrhynchus.
| Archaeorhynchus Fossil range: Early Cretaceous (Aptian) |
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| Archaeorhynchus spathula Zhou & Zhang, 2006 |
Archaeorhynchus is a prehistoric bird genus from the Early Cretaceous. The single known species, Archaeorhynchus spathula[1] lived about 122 million years ago, in the Aptian. Found in Yixian Formation rocks at Yixian (Yizhou), Liaoning province (PRC), the holotype is a finely-preserved essentially complete assoiated skeleton.
This is one of the earliest ornithurines, proving how early the ancestors of all living birds must have constituted a lineage distinct from most other Mesozoic birds.
Gastroliths were found in its body cavity, hinting at a herbivorous diet.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Etymology: Archaeorhynchus, "ancient bill", from Ancient Greek archaios (αρχαίος) + rhynchos (ῥύγχος[verification needed]). spathula, Latinized Ancient Greek "small spatha sword", referring to the dentary bone's shape.
[edit] External links
- oficina.cienciaviva.pt: Photo of holotype. Note gastroliths (indicated "GS"). Retrieved 2007-NOV-2.
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