Protopteryx
Protopteryx | |
---|---|
Fossil specimen, National Museum of Natural Science | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Dinosauria |
Clade: | Saurischia |
Clade: | Theropoda |
Clade: | Avialae |
Clade: | †Enantiornithes |
Order: | †Protopterygiformes Zhou , 2006
|
Family: | †Protopterygidae Zhang & Zhou, 2006 |
Genus: | †Protopteryx Zhang & Zhou, 2000 |
Species: | †P. fengningensis
|
Binomial name | |
†Protopteryx fengningensis Zhang & Zhou, 2000
|
Protopteryx is an
Description
Protopteryx fossils show that they were roughly the same as a today's
Classification
Protopteryx is one of the most basal known members of the group Enantiornithes. It appeared after Archaeopteryx, one of the most basal birds, and Confuciusornis.[9] Protopteryx is more basal than the species Eocathayornis[1] and Paraprotopteryx.[10]
Discovery and geography
Protopteryx was discovered in the Sichakou Member of the Hebei province, west of the Liaoning province.[11] The formations where Protopteryx was found were the Yixian and Dageibou formations.[12][13] The Sichakou Basin is part of the Daxinganling-Taihangshan Tectonomagmatic Belt and moves in a north-northeast direction. When Protopteryx was alive, the Sichakou basin was located at the Hongqiangou-Jiecangou.[11]
Paleobiology
Protopteryx lived in the
Feather adaptations
Protopteryx was adapted for flying and had feathers with features similar to modern birds, as shown by its procoracoid, carina of the sternum, external tuberosity of the humerus, and deltoid crest, which suggest Protopteryx had a modern musculus supercoracoideus and pectoralis. Protopteryx also shares asymmetric wing flight feathers with flying birds, as well as Archaeopteryx and Confuciusornis.[8] The tail feathers of Protopteryx lack of barbs and rami close to the body,[8] suggesting a use outside of flight, such as display, thermoregulation, or sensory usage.[9]
See also
References
- ^ a b Zhou, Zhonghe. (2002). "A new and primitive enantiornithine bird from the Early Cretaceous of China." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 22(1): 49-57.
- PMID 11110660.
- .
- ^ Zhiheng Li, Zhonghe Zhou, Min Wang, Julia A. Clarke, (2014). "A New Specimen of Large-Bodied Basal Enantiornithine Bohaiornis from the Early Cretaceous of China and the Inference of Feeding Ecology in Mesozoic Birds." Journal of Paleontology, 88: 99-108.
- ^ a b A Primitive Enantiornithine Bird and the Origin of Feathers Fucheng Zhang and Zhonghe Zhou Science 8 December 2000: 290 (5498), 1955-1959. [DOI:10.1126/science.290.5498.1955]
- ^ Zhou, Zhonghe, and Fucheng Zhang. "Origin of feathers–perspectives from fossil evidence." Science Progress 84, no. 2 (2001): 87-104.
- ^ a b c d "A Primitive Enantiornithine Bird and the Origin of Feathers", Fucheng Zhang and Zhonghe Zhou". Science 8 December 2000: 290 (5498), 1955-1959. [DOI:10.1126/science.290.5498.1955]
- ^ a b Fucheng, Z., Zhonghe, Z. and Dyke, G. (2006), Feathers and ‘feather-like’ integumentary structures in Liaoning birds and dinosaurs. Geol. J., 41: 395–404. doi: 10.1002/gj.1057
- ^ Xiaoting, Z., Zihui, Z. and Lianhai, H. (2007), A New Enantiornitine Bird with Four Long Rectrices from the Early Cretaceous of Northern Hebei, China. Acta Geologica Sinica, 81: 703–708. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-6724.2007.tb00995.x
- ^ a b Jin, F.; Zhang, F.C.; Li, Z.H.; Zhang, J.Y.; Li, C.; Zhou, Z.H. (2008). "On the horizon of Protopteryx and the early vertebrate fossil assemblages of the Jehol Biota". Chinese Science Bulletin 53 (18): 2820–2827. doi:10.1007/s11434-008-0209-5.
- ^ Zhonghe, Z. (2006), "Evolutionary radiation of the Jehol Biota: chronological and ecological perspectives". Geol. J., 41: 377–393. doi: 10.1002/gj.1045
- ^ O’Connor, Jingmai K., Zhonghe Zhou, and Fucheng Zhang. "A reappraisal of Boluochia zhengi (Aves: Enantiornithes) and a discussion of intraclade diversity in the Jehol avifauna, China." Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 9, no. 1 (2011): 51-63.
- ^ He, H. Y., X. L. Wang, F. Jin, Z. H. Zhou, F. Wang, L. K. Yang, X. Ding, A. Boven, and R. X. Zhu (2006), "The 40Ar/39Ar dating of the early Jehol Biota from Fengning, Hebei Province, northern China", Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 7, Q04001, doi:10.1029/2005GC001083.
Sources
- http://www.fossilmuseum.net/Fossil-Pictures/Birds/Protopteryx/Protopteryx-fengningensis.htm
- Mesozoic Birds: Above the Heads of Dinosaurs by Luis M. Chiappe and Lawrence M. Witmer
External links
- Protopteryx in the Paleobiology Database
- Protopteryx fossil courtesy of Fossil Museum [1]