Changchengornis

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Changchengornis Fossil range: Early Cretaceous (Barremian/Aptian)
Conservation status
Fossil
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Family: Confuciusornithidae Genus: Changchengornis Species: C. hengdaoziensis
Binomial name
Changchengornis hengdaoziensis

Changchengornis is a prehistoric bird genus from the Early Cretaceous. Its remains have been found in the PRC, in Chaomidianzi Formation rocks from around the Barremian-Aptian boundary, deposited 125 million years ago.

Apart from the holotype GMV-2129 - a somewhat damaged skeleton -, few if any material is available in scientific collections, though at least one specimen was put up for sale commercially^[1].

A single species, Changchengornis hengdaoziensis. It was a relative of the better-known Confuciusornis. Unlike that animal, Changchengornis had a beak that was slightly hooked at the tip, proportionally shorter, and higher^[2]. GMV-2129 also has two elongated, ribbon-like tail feathers as found in some Confuciusornis. There also was a head tuft or crest; at least the outline of its head must have borne an uncanny resemblance to today's Tauraco (turacos). Whether their hooked bill means that unlike Confuciusornis - probably an omnivore that at least occasionally caught fish -, Changchengornis fed on fruit is not known.

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] References

• Mortimer, Michael (2004): The Theropod Database: Phylogeny of taxa. Retrieved 2007-OCT-30.

[edit] External links

• cornishcrispa.co.uk: Specimen photo
• dinosaur.net.cn: Changchengornis hengdaoziensis [in Chinese]. Retrieved 2007-OCT-30.
• Dinosauricon: Skeleton drawing by Martin F. Chavez H.. Retrieved 2007-OCT-30.
• Dinosauricon: Reconstruction (bird in lower right corner) by Martin F. Chavez H.. Retrieved 2007-OCT-30.