Dalianraptor

Dalianraptor
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 120 Ma
↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Clade:Ornithurae
Class:Aves
Genus:†Dalianraptor
Gao & Liu, 2005
Species: †D. cuhe
Binomial name
Dalianraptor cuhe
Gao & Liu, 2005

Dalianraptor (meaning "Dalian thief") is a genus of prehistoric bird that lived in China about 120 million years ago, during the early Cretaceous Period. It is very similar to the contemporary avialian Jeholornis, though it has a longer digit I (thumb-equivalent) and shorter forelimbs,[1] which suggests it may have been flightless. Reaching about 80 centimetres (31 in) in length, it was found in Jiufotang Formation rocks in Liaoning Province.

More recently, it is being suspected that the specimen is a chimera forged for the fossil trade, namely a Jeholornis with the arms exchanged by those of a flightless theropod.[2][3]

References

  1. ↑ Chiappe, Luis M.; Dyke, Gareth J. (2006). "The Early Evolutionary History of Birds". Journal of the Paleontological Society of Korea. 22 (1): 133&ndash, 151.
  2. ↑ Naish, Darren. "Getting a major chapter on birds – ALL birds – into a major book on dinosaurs | Tetrapod Zoology, Scientific American Blog Network". Blogs.scientificamerican.com. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0026350. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
  3. ↑ Matthew Martyniuk (2012-08-10). "DinoGoss: The Strange Bird Dalianraptor cuhe". Dinogoss.blogspot.com.au. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
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