Jinfengopteryx

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Jinfengopteryx
Temporal range:
Ma
↓
J. elegans fossil specimen
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Family: †Troodontidae
Subfamily: †Jinfengopteryginae
Genus: †Jinfengopteryx
Ji et al., 2005
Type species
†Jinfengopteryx elegans
Ji et al., 2005

Jinfengopteryx (from Jinfeng, 'golden phoenix', the queen of birds in Chinese folklore, and

Province, China, and is therefore of uncertain age. The Qiaotou Member may correlate with the more well-known Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation, and so probably dates to around 122 Ma (122 million years) ago.[1]

Description

Size compared with a human

Jinfengopteryx is known from one specimen (number CAGS-IG-04-0801), a nearly complete articulated skeleton, which measured 55 cm (1.8 ft) long. It was preserved with extensive impressions of pennaceous feathers, but it lacks flight feathers on its hind legs, which are present in related dinosaurs such as Pedopenna or Anchiornis. It also preserves several small, oval structures that are reddish-yellow in color, possibly seeds that the dinosaur had eaten before it died; they may also be small eggs or developing follicles.[specify][2] If the oval structures are indeed seeds, they could indicate that Jinfengopteryx was an omnivore.[3]

Feathers

Jinfengopteryx preserves feather impressions "around the neck, the body, the hips, the upper hindlimbs, the tail, and near the manus" (end of the front limbs).[2] The specimen shows short, simple feathers on its neck, body, hips, and upper legs. Also preserved are long, vaned tail feathers that become increasingly longer distally (away from the body).

Flight

A 2020 study on

paravian flight capacities demonstrates that Jinfengopteryx matches closely with other flying non-avian theropods like Microraptor and Rahonavis.[4]

Classification

life restoration
Skeletal reconstruction

The authors of the original description considered Jinfengopteryx to be the most

jugal. The specimen IGM 100/1126 (currently without an assigned genus) is the closest relative of Jinfengopteryx within the group.[9]

Oviraptorosauria

Paraves

†Scansoriopterygidae

†Eosinopteryx

Eumaniraptora

†Jinfengopteryx

†Aurornis

†Dromaeosauridae

†Troodontidae

Avialae

†Anchiornis

†Archaeopteryx

True birds and other avialans

Cladogram following the results of a phylogenetic study by Cau et al., 2015.[10]

See also

References

  1. doi:10.1007/s11434-008-0209-5
    .
  2. ^ a b c Ji Qiang; Ji Shu'an; Lu Junchang; You Hailu; Chen Wen; Liu Yongqing; Liu Yanxue (2005). "First avialian bird from China (Jinfengopteryx elegans gen. et sp. nov.)". Geological Bulletin of China. 24 (3): 197–205.
  3. PMID 19605396
    .
  4. bioRxiv 10.1101/2020.04.17.046169
    .
  5. ^ Ji S., and Ji, Q. (2007). "Jinfengopteryx compared to Archaeopteryx, with comments on the mosaic evolution of long-tailed avialan birds." Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition), 81(3): 337-343.
  6. ^ Chiappe, L.M. Glorified Dinosaurs: The Origin and Early Evolution of Birds. Sydney: UNSW Press.
  7. ^ Xu and Norell (2006). "Non-avian dinosaur fossils from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Group of western Liaoning, China." Geological Journal, 41(3-4): 419-437.
  8. PMID 17823350
    .
  9. S2CID 83572446
    .
  10. PMID 26157616
    .

External links

Look up Jinfengopteryx in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
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