| Archaeorhynchus Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 125 Ma |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Node: | Ornithothoraces |
| clade: | Ornithurae |
| Genus: | †Archaeorhynchus Zhou & Zhang, 2006 |
| Species: | †A. spathula |
| Binomial name | |
| Archaeorhynchus spathula Zhou & Zhang, 2006 |
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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.[2]
